Crazy on You - DNF Review

Crazy on You (Love and Harmony, # 3)

By: Crystal B. Bright

Publication: February 12th 2019 by Lyrical Shine

pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Shut out the noise and listen to your heart . . .

Worse than a one-hit wonder, Tassia Hogan is a one-line wonder. Infamous for a memorable, extremely provocative verse, her music career is going nowhere. Finding a decent man to date has also proven fruitless . . . they all think she’s as wanton as those lyrics. But now her label is offering Tassia the chance to shine—with a catch. The album is duets. Her partner is a Country Western singer. And he’s just as reluctant to agree as she is.

Hyde Love has been in the music business since he was eleven, and he’s becoming more and more disenchanted with it. Collaborating on an album seems great in theory, but Tassia is an R&B singer. Melding their sounds and personalities will be difficult—though not as tough as keeping things strictly business. Getting involved with his partner could prove career-wrecking, yet discovering the real Tassia could be earth-shattering.

I picked up Crazy on You because it reminded me of another book I recently read (You'd Be Mine, review coming soon) which also features two musicians who are thrown together and forced to collaborate. I enjoyed that book so much that even the hint of something similar was worth checking out. I felt like the premise of Crazy on You had so much potential.

Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the plot choices or the writing of Crazy on You. First of all, there were some continuity issues for me. Maybe I missed something, but there were times I couldn't follow the writing because Crystal B Bright would bounce between the present and character flashbacks without making it obvious which time period the character is describing.

But perhaps my biggest issue was how both characters couldn't stop thinking about each other in a sexual context. Obviously, when we find someone else physically attractive there's a level of doing so that's sexual, but I don't understand how every positive trait or experience between these characters sparked sexual thoughts. You can appreciate someone's talents without thinking about jumping them constantly. And unless your relationship is only based on sex then you will have other positive thoughts. And if not, then that's not a relationship I care to read about. And if that's not bad enough, the first encounter was just laughable. I mean there's body wash... And even though it wasn't specifically stated this way... It just isn't supposed to go... inside. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

After I got to the body wash scene, I needed to take a break, and after I put Crazy on You down for 30 minutes or so to complain to Husband, I realized that no one was forcing me to go back. And if I can go on with my life knowing I'm not finishing a story and it isn't going to drive me crazy not knowing how things end, then that's the type of book I can DNF and move on to something I'll enjoy more. Crazy on You: DNF'd at 63%. Have you read Crazy on You? What did you think? Let me know!

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts - Review

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts Duet, # 2)

By: Emma Scott

Publication: October 14th 2018 by Amazon Digital Services

286 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Retellings

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Never again would I allow my heart to become the plaything of someone else.
Never again would I let a man (or men) come between me and my goals.
Never again would I love without feeling the fullness of that love in return.
Not until I knew it was real. And if that took me a lifetime to find, so be it.

Those were my vows, and after all that had happened with Connor and Weston, I was determined to keep them. To protect my heart.
And then he came home, and my vows became his promises.

He held my heart in his hands with reverence and care.
He helped me find my soul’s greatest purpose in life.
He loved me with a love so pure and vibrant, I knew I’d never feel anything like it in a hundred lifetimes.
It was real.

Until it wasn’t.
Until it all came crashing down when I discovered the deep love I thought I’d found was nestled in a web of lies—so soft and silken I hadn’t noticed it was there.
Until it was too late.

**********
Long Live the Beautiful Hearts is the emotional, heart-wrenching conclusion to the Beautiful Hearts Duet by bestselling author, Emma Scott, and is inspired by the classic tale, Cyrano de Bergerac. (Roxanne) THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LOVE TRIANGLE #confusedhearts #notamenage THIS BOOK IS NOT A STANDALONE. It should not be read without first reading Bring Down the Stars

Man you guys, I BLEW through this book and the previous one (Bring Down the Stars) in two days. This is unheard of for me at this point in my life. I just don't usually have the time available to dedicate to reading so much in a row. But I read about 6 hours in one day as we took a day trip to a wedding three hours away. But I couldn't stop reading this book. From the cliffhanger from book 1 to the beginning of this one.

It's almost impossible to discuss this book without getting into the land of spoilers. I'll do my best. I mean the description is so vague that you don't know who even came back from war. So...how do I even discuss this book?

Where I struggled with knowing inevitable conflict was coming in Bring Down the Stars, I felt like I was passed the hardest part because the damage had already been done. Now it was just about unraveling the lies in time and seeing how Autumn would handle them. Yet in so many ways, the struggles were only just beginning by the time we start Long Live the Beautiful Hearts. If there's one thing I wish I could change about this book it would be that Autumn had discovered (or been told) the truth sooner and that she would have had time throughout the book to recover from the lies in a slower manner. While I wasn't entirely unsatisfied with how everything was handled, the resolution and forgiveness did feel a bit like a switch was flipped and she changed from sad and hurt to happy and forgiving a bit too jarringly to feel realistic.

I was so impressed with the poetry actually featured in Bring Down the Stars. Specifically, the last/main poem of the book. And so for that to be the case, I found myself a little disappointed with the poems included in Long Live the Beautiful Hearts. They weren't bad, but I just didn't find them as striking.

What was striking though was the difference in the Before versus the After--especially when considering the real-life events that Emma Scott was dealing with. She lost her daughter, Isabel, in between books to a massive heart attack due to a rare complication she'd had since birth. These two books being one complete, thought-out story with every piece being perfectly executed and planned from the beginning makes the Before and After of the books mirroring Emma Scott's own Before and After poetic and heartbreaking. Real life imitates art imitating real life. As a mother, my heart breaks for Emma Scott and what she's gone through even more than these beautiful characters that she's written about in this story.

I honestly had mixed thoughts about the disability pieces of the story-line. On the one hand, it was so refreshing. I can say I've probably read only other book with a main character that had a similar disability. I imagine Emma Scott researched tons about these types of disabilities before making any decisions for her character, but I don't have that luxury or knowledge base. So there were some things that I just have no knowledge base for. Other aspects were so heartbreaking to think that I've never thought about these things before. And it opened my eyes to the need for more compassion and consideration from me.

Favorite quotes (that aren't too long or spoilers):

-Was there any greater gift from one human being to another than understanding?

-"In my mind, [...], that has always been the fault of your armor; you have built it so strong that it doesn't protect you so much as it hurts you to carry its impossible weight."

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts was a beautiful end to a wonderful story. I started this series fearing how the retelling would be handled, but Emma Scott worked it so well. And the reasons that our characters felt unworthy of love are so much better and deeper than some big old ugly nose. I want to say so much more about this book and this series, but I just can't spoil it for any potential readers. This book and the series weren't completely perfect so I'm not giving this book 5 Stars, but it heartily deserves 4.5 Stars. Have you read Long Live the Beautiful Hearts? What did you think? Let me know!

Bring Down the Stars - Review

Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts Duet, # 1)

By: Emma Scott

Publication: August 19th 2018 by Amazon Digital Services

292 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Retellings

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon $3.99 | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--I fell for Connor Drake. I didn’t want to; I fought against it, but I fell in love with him anyway. With his words. With his poetry. With him. The gentleness and beauty of his soul that speaks directly to mine. He writes as if he can feel my heart, hear its cadence and compose the exact right lyrics to accompany every beat and flow.

I’m in love with Connor…so why do I feel an inexplicable pull to his best friend, Weston? Grouchy, sullen, brooding Weston Turner, who could cut you down with a look. Fiercely intelligent with a razor sharp wit and acid tongue, he’s the exact opposite of Connor in every way, and yet there’s electricity in the air between us. The thorny barbs Weston wraps around himself can’t keep me away.

But the more time I spend with these men, the more tangled and confused my emotions become. When they both sign up for the Army Reserves during a time of increasing strife in the Middle East, I fear I’ll never unravel my own heart that sometimes feels as if it will tear straight down the middle…for both of them.

**********

Bring Down the Stars is an emotional, angst-filled novel of unrequited love by bestselling author, Emma Scott, and is inspired by the classic tale, Cyrano de Bergerac. (Roxanne) It is Book I in the Beautiful Hearts Duet, coming this summer. Book II, Long Live the Beautiful Hearts, to be released a few weeks later. THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LOVE TRIANGLE #confusedhearts #notamenage

When I read the description of Bring Down the Stars, I was sold that it was a book that I needed to read, but I wasn't sold that it would start or end in a place I'd be happy with. I mean the story of Cyrano de Bergerac is well known. A man speaks for another man in love with a woman. I mean obviously there's more to it than that, but I could tell immediately from the description that it was likely Weston was the one giving his words to Connor in order to woo Autumn. But that would mean that Weston wouldn't be with Autumn, yet Weston would be the one I should be rooting for. Starting a book off knowing that inevitable conflict (well all books have conflict, but this particular conflict is what I mean) is ahead had me hesitating.

Despite my hesitation, Bring Down the Stars hooked me quickly. I easily felt the connection between Autumn and Weston. And even the gravitational pull toward Connor and his easygoing charisma. Each character has depth. Connor's struggles to live up to his family's wishes for him. His family is so gracious to Weston and his family, and even Autumn's. They weren't black and white characters. Weston's history with his father and even how his mother's words shaped his view of himself, his worth, and his options for his future. Autumn's romantic history and her family dynamics. All of these characters were more than surface level. Even the side characters like Connor's parents, Weston's mom, Paul, Ruby, Edmond (who I imagine was fashioned in some ways after Javier from Felicity), and Weston's poetry professor.

I was a little frustrated with Autumn. I mean such a large point of this book is the retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac so this couldn't really be avoided, but how much Autumn struggled with the back and forth of Connor. How he felt so different in person versus the poetry, letters, or words he gave her when they weren't together...It seems to me that you've got to go with how you feel when you're together in person versus words shared when apart. So I struggled a little with her indecision. But all of that was necessary for the story.

It's actually hard for me to separate Bring Down the Stars from Long Live the Beautiful Hearts considering I started book 2 immediately after finishing this one. I read in the car on a day trip 3 hours away from home (and then 3 hours back). I basically finished both books in two days total--unheard of for me this past year.

I also want to say that the last poem of Bring Down the Stars did not disappoint. Often times when I'm reading a book that builds up a character's talent in songwriting, poetry, writing, riddles, etc, I end up being disappointed with the lyrics or samples of their art included in the book. That was not the case with the main poem of this book. It was beautiful in every way and I could read it over and over again. I won't share it with you guys, but I will share a few of my other favorite quotes:

-"I can't help myself. I don't want casual. I want electricity. I want someone I can talk to for ages, someone who sets my blood on fire. And not just physically, you know?" Ruby pursed her lips. "Gee, don't expect much, do you?" "Only everything," I said. "And why not? That's exactly what I have to give."

-I wouldn't touch you so quickly, I thought. I'd wait. Draw it out. Build up the moment so that when it happened--when each of us feels the other's skin for the first time--it'll be something sublime. Something earned.

-"I'm starting to memorize you," he said. "Not just your words but how you talk. The silences between words. The sound you make when you're thinking. The quiet where you try to hold back, and the little floods where you don't."

Bring Down the Stars was more than I expected it to be. I hoped I would like it. I hoped I could make it past the inevitable conflict that was expected from the book description and the very beginning of the story. And Bring Down the Stars exceeded my expectations. Knowing what was going on in Emma Scott's life during the time of writing these two books made these books even more emotional. My heart goes out to her. Bring Down the Stars gets 4 Stars. Have you read Bring Down the Stars? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for The Sound of Love

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

The Sound of Love

By: Geneviève Reese

Expected Publication: November 11th 2018 by UNCANNY PUBLISHING INC

320 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Born and raised on her family farm in rural East Tennessee, Danielle Adams always dreamed of moving to Nashville—known in her family as the “big city”. She had the voice of an angel and her skills on the piano put her on par with some of the best pianists in the world. On her twenty-first birthday, Danielle’s parents bought her a one-way ticket to “the big city” and gave her enough money to live for a year. Her parents—along with everyone at their church and all through the town—knew of her talents and felt it was time she shared her GOD-given gifts with the world.

Danielle’s life in Nashville starts off rocky, but eventually she finds her way. Before long, a music producer notices her talents and signs her to a record deal. After performing in a few shows, she instantly becomes the new darling of Nashville. One day while performing, Danielle notices that her hearing seems to be going in and out. After this happens a couple more times, Danielle decides it’s time for her to go see a doctor. To her shock, she learns that she has a rare genetic disorder that will cause her to eventually become deaf. Her doctor gives her a referral to someone who can teach her sign language and other useful devices that will make life easier once her hearing is fully gone. Danielle—devastated to say the least—falls into a deep depression and begins questioning GOD’s plan for her life.

Eventually, Danielle goes to meet with the doctor’s referral, Walker Davenport; who turns out to be an exceptionally handsome and kind man—who also happens to be a musician himself. He helps her prepare for life as a deaf person—starting with making her a hearing “bucket list”. Walker even shows her ways she can still have music in her life even if she is unable to hear. Over time, Daniele and Walker become close and eventually fall in love. Their young love blossoms, and marriage seems to be right on the horizon. That is, until the day that they had been planning for finally arrives—when Danielle’s hearing is completely gone.

Unable to handle her new reality, Danielle rebuffs Walker, and shuts out the rest of the world—even her close nit family. Walker then finds himself trying to prove to her that the sound of love can still be heard even when your world is silent.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Kingdom of Ash

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7)

By: Sarah J Maas

Expected Publication: October 23rd 2018 by Bloomsbury YA

720 pages

Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, Fantasy

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas’s #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin Galathynius’s journey from slave to king’s assassin to the queen of a once-great kingdom reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world. . .

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Can't Wait for From Here to You

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

From Here to You (Crash and Burn, # 1)

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: October 9th 2018

384 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--As Darby Dixon sits in a tiny Texas church bathroom on her wedding day holding a positive pregnancy test, she realizes that of all the bad decisions she's made in her life, marrying her abusive fiancé would be the worst. She's never been able to stand up for herself, but she'll sure as hell stand up for her baby. With just the cash she has on hand, she runs to get a bus ticket to the farthest place she can afford. Between her sheer grit and pageant-queen smile, she lands a job as a front desk clerk at the Colorado Springs Hotel. It's not a glamorous life, but she and her baby are all that matters.

A former Marine, Scott "Trex" Trexler has worked in the most dangerous, corrupt, war-torn places on earth. Now he finally has a chance to return to the last place he'd felt at peace--Colorado Springs, Colorado, to take a new job with the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a top-secret military installation buried deep within the granite.

The moment Trex walks into the inn, Darby knows he's dangerous. There's no way she wants to get involved with another man who seems to be keeping way too many secrets. As charming and devastatingly gorgeous as Trex is, he clearly isn't telling her everything. But as wildfires rage on the mountain and Darby's ex-fiancé shows he isn't so willing to let her go, both she and Trex are soon to find out that what you don't know absolutely can hurt you.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

A Different Blue - Review

A Different Blue

By: Amy Harmon

Published: March 29th 2013 by Createspace Independent Publishing

306 pages

Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing.

This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible.

(This review was written in September 2017.)

I've been in a reading slump for a little while. This seems to be a theme for me during pregnancy. I believe that to be due to a lower tolerance to things that annoy me. I just happened to snag this Amy Harmon book as a freebie a while back. She's a new author to me this year, but I've read 3 books by her already. Two of these three books I rated 5 Stars. So I felt pretty confident that Amy Harmon would be a good choice for getting me out of this book slump.

I have to say that in the very beginning of A Different Blue I was struggling. Even at one point I wondered if I would end up liking the book at all or if it would just end up not being for me. Blue isn't in the best mental space and the majority of the book during this section switches between memories of Blue's past and growing up as well as history lessons from her very hot British teacher. I almost felt like I was back in school myself. And I'm not usually a fan of books that jump around chronologically. So this portion of A Different Blue was a struggle for me.

Once I got to the middle section of the book I was hooked. As a matter of fact, Amy Harmon had me straight bawling for a bit. I mean I'd like to say that the majority of these tears are due to pregnancy hormones, and that's likely true to an extent. But since becoming a mother, this section would have broken my heart pregnant or not.

The description pretty much tells you so this isn't a spoiler, but I was wondering how Amy Harmon would work a teacher/student relationship in such a way that the reader wouldn't take issue with the couple. Yet she pulled it off. For me at least. Wilson and Blue have such a slow building relationship. At first it's very student/teacher yet antagonistic. But Blue graduates early on in the book and their relationship moves more into the mentor direction until they slowly become friends and very, very slowly turn into more.

Amy Harmon has a way of weaving in some spiritual topics in way that doesn't make her books "Christian" or even feel as if she's trying to project a particular idea, belief, or theology onto the reader. I very much appreciate this. I can read her books without feeling like I'm being preached to yet I get a bit of the warm and fuzzies from these aspects.

Favorite quotes:

-"History is written according to what men believe, whether or not it's true."

-"What label do you want for yourself? How would you label yourself if the labels weren't based on what you thought of yourself but what you wanted for yourself?"

-"Someone told me once that to create true art you must be willing to bleed and let others watch."

-"When it's all said and done there are so many worthy causes, so much work to be done, so much good to do, but if we sacrifice everything for a cause, we tend to become a spokesperson instead of a lover, an organizer instead of a wife, a mouthpiece instead of a mother. I gave everything else away in the name of a greater good, but look how many people I hurt. Look at the ripple effects of thinking my life's work was more important than the people in my life."

I struggled with A Different Blue in the beginning. The middle tore my heart to shreds, and the ending was what I needed it to be. I did have a few questions that weren't answered, but nothing that involved the major pieces of the puzzle. Though I initially wondered if A Different Blue would end up being the one Amy Harmon book that I didn't enjoy, she pulled it off. A Different Blue gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read A Different Blue? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for A Court of Frost and Starlight

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 3.1)

By: Sarah J Maas

Expected Publication: May 1st 2018 by Bloomsbury YA

224 pages

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Faerie, Fae

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Narrated by Feyre and Rhysand, this story bridges the events in A Court of Wings and Ruin and the upcoming spinoff novels.

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated—scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Paris Lights - Review

Paris Lights (Heart of the City, # 1)

By: CJ Duggan

Publication: December 1st 2016

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

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Goodreads description--'You're breaking up with me!' He was silent. 'In Paris.' Eyes dropping. 'Under the Eiffel-[...]-Tower!' I screamed.

Twenty-five-year-old Claire Shorten had looked forward to spending a romantic weekend in Paris for as long as she could remember, and now it was here - three blissful days of strolling through cobbled streets arm-in-arm with her beloved, eating copious amounts of baked goods and soaking up the culture through each and every pore of her body. Well, at least, that was how she'd pictured it . . .

Even after her boyfriend dumps her rather unceremoniously in the most romantic place on earth, Claire is determined not to give up on her dream altogether - with or without a boyfriend. She finds herself a job in the kitchen of a small hotel; Michelin-starred it most certainly is not, but somehow Claire makes a place for herself amidst the dirty dishes and the foreign misfits who run the place.

When the restaurant attracts the attention of the enigmatic - if not slightly terrifying - tycoon Louis Delarue, and Claire manages to survive his high-powered business luncheon from hell, she knows that she can survive anything, surely. But all bets are off when Louis makes a game-changing decision: he's coming back for a second course . . .

I picked up Paris Lights because I'd just read three fantasy books--two of which were extremely slow paced and took me the majority of the month to read. I wanted something that would hook me and that I could read quickly. And that's exactly what happened. I read the first 30% and then basically finished the rest of the book the next day.

The description is a little deceiving. Claire does get dumped by her boyfriend, and she does find a job in the kitchen of a small hotel. But the hotel is more the focus than the kitchen. And Claire pitches in all over the hotel, from manning the reception desk to washing dishes. But the reason Claire pitches in is because the hotel needs saving and Cecile (the owner/manager) gave her a place to stay when her boyfriend dumped her and she decided to stay in Paris. Cecile has managed to get one of those reality TV shows--think Restaurant Impossible or Kitchen Nightmares or I guess Hotel Impossible if such a show existed--to help her save the hotel.

And like Robert Irvine or Gordon Ramsay, Louis Delarue has a tough outer shell. Louis tends to come into a hotel or restaurant and rip the food, accommodations, and staff to pieces. Most people seem to be terrified of him. The problem is that he expects perfection. He has high standards of people. It takes a lot to earn his respect, but when you've gotten it you know that you've earned it. Of course this doesn't sit well with all people and Claire starts off with an intense dislike of Louis. Sure he's attractive physically, but not the way he treats people. And so she challenges him to behave differently. The problem is...she only sees what's on the surface. Beneath is a passionate and generous man. I really appreciated how Claire's opinion of Louis changed rather slowly. And they built their relationship upon shared experiences rather than physical attraction. Of course things do get physical, and CJ Duggan was fairly graphic when things got there. Yet overall there weren't many scenes in the book of this nature.

I felt like some pieces could have been explained better. Like how and why Louis ended up choosing the Hotel Trocadero as one of his project hotels in the first place. Claire's actual duties in the hotel and with the project were vague at best and could have been flushed out more. Just a few issues like that. The only highlights I made were a couple of overused phrases.

Overall, Paris Lights was exactly what I expected--a quick, fun, light read. I read the first 30% quickly and was hooked after that. There was some language and physical scenes, but neither were excessive throughout the book. Paris Lights gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Paris Lights? What did you think? Let me know!

A Court of Wings and Ruin - Review

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 3)

By: Sarah J Maas

Published: May 2nd 2017 by Bloomsbury Childrens Books

699 pages

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fae, Faeries

Source: Borrowed from Holly

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A nightmare, I’d told Tamlin. I was the nightmare.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit—and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well. As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords—and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

The ending of A Court of Mist and Fury didn't exactly have me rushing out to pick up A Court of Wings and Ruin immediately. Of course, I wanted to read it and knew that I would, but the precarious situation of the characters that I care so much about made me feel the need for a break. So I read a contemporary and a non-fiction book between these two. Not a spoiler if you've read A Court of Mist and Fury, but we pick up the story with Feyre back in the Spring Court as a spy for Rhys. Tamlin and everyone else thinks that the King of Hybern broke the mating bond between Feyre and Rhys, but what he broke was actually just the bargain they created Under the Mountain in A Court of Thorns and Roses. Feyre pretty much loathes Tamlin at this point because not only did he ignore her wishes of leaving her and Rhys in peace, but he also sold his soul and his court basically to Hybern to get her back. And in the process, her sisters were captured and turned into Fae against their will.

As I said, I wasn't happy with where the characters begin this story. Not only is Feyre back in Tamlin's court but Azriel and Cassian were both injured and we have little knowledge of how they're healing. This time with Feyre playing spy against Tamlin wasn't the most enjoyable for me, but thankfully it didn't drag on too long. Maybe 20% if I remember correctly.

As always, Sarah J Maas has so many pieces of her puzzle to weave together that it's hard to imagine her keeping it all straight. Yet, I've learned that each piece has a purpose and therefore some things that possibly should have been twists and turns were a bit more predictable for me than I'd like. Holly and Lacy both said they were surprised at some of these pieces so it's good to know that not everyone will feel the same way that I did. Holly and Lacy both told me they prefer not to try to guess how things are going to turn out, but my brain can't help but analyze all of the pieces of this puzzle along with my knowledge of all prior books that I've read to see which pieces will play out in certain ways. I don't always mean to predict the events of the book (right or wrong). I just can't help it. And surprisingly for me compared to how frequently Sarah J Maas surprised me with her Throne of Glass series, I actually found myself guessing correctly* more times than not. I truly hope this doesn't come off as arrogant as I've sometimes felt other reviewers to be when mentioning pieces of books that they've figured out. I personally enjoy a mix of being able to predict twists while also remaining surprised at some of the turns as well. Because, as I said, I've seen Sarah J Maas do just that, I found myself a little disappointed with not being as surprised with this series ender.

Speaking of series ender...this is one of those times when the true ending seems unclear. Sarah J Maas states in her FAQ on her website that A Court of Thorns and Roses is intended to be a trilogy, but that she has more books planned for this world. This indicates a spin-off series, but I'm curious to see what the spin-off will be named as Goodreads currently has ACoTaR showing as a 6 book series.

Regardless of my predictions, there is still much that I'm dying to know about. Things were left very open for most of our side characters that I feel a pressing urge to know more about--to see how things will play out. My biggest questions revolve around Elain and Lucien* as well as Nesta and Cassian*. I don't want to give anything away between these characters, but I will say that I was left wanting to know much more than I was given. Speaking of side characters, I was not entirely happy with the actions of Tamlin or Mor. Tamlin's behavior toward the end of A Court of Mist and Fury as well as A Court of Wings and Fury felt a good bit out of character from the man he appeared to be in A Court of Thorns and Roses. I suppose in some ways he redeemed himself, but I wasn't completely satisfied overall. Mor gives Feyre a detailed explanation of her complicated relationships with both Cassian and Azriel. But beyond her actual revelation, I was disappointed and downright angry with her treatment of the two guys, but specifically Azriel. She was beyond unfair but utterly selfish and even what I would call cruel in truth. This story didn't endear her to me. I didn't feel sorry for her or her struggles. Instead, I felt her story made her weaker than I felt she'd been throughout the prior two books. In the end, I was just really disappointed in the direction that Sarah J Maas chose to go with her.*

Favorite quotes:

-"You can't be too careful while sharing camp with enemies..."

-"You come between a male and his mate, Nate Archeron, and you're going to learn the consequences the hard way."

-I realized that the color of death, of sorrow, was white. The lack of color. Of vibrancy.

-I see you ... And it does not frighten me.

-"Remember that you are a wolf. And you cannot be caged."

I'm sure I'm not saying much of what should be said about A Court of Wings and Ruin. I am including a rather lengthy spoiler section at the end of this review so check that out if you're interested...or avoid it if you don't want anything spoiled. I found A Court of Wings and Ruin a little more predictable than I wanted it to be. But I was still completely sucked into the story. I was connected to the characters so much, and I wanted to see how everything was going to play out. In the end Sarah J Maas left me wanting more and I can't wait to see which pieces get tied up even more in her spin-off series to come. A Court of Wings and Ruin gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read A Court of Wings and Ruin? What did you think? Let me know!

Highlight for spoilers: Feyre's mission to retrieve the mirror for the Bone Carver: It was obvious to me that she would indeed look into the mirror and come away just fine. Otherwise mentioning the mission and visiting the Bone Carver at all would have been pointless and a waste of words and pages for nothing.

I also never bought Rhys's death. Once a character dies and comes back to life no matter the method (actually being resurrected, a faked death, or however), I find all other deaths in the series to be lacking in impact because the potential is for them to "come back" also. And because Feyre survived her broken neck by the High Lords bringing her back to life, I didn't emotionally connect to Rhys dying or Feyre's panic and heartbreak through these scenes. Not to mention, Sarah J Maas's constant planting of how "Rhys would sacrifice all so that the others don't have to" (I'm paraphrasing here) felt like overkill. She essentially prepared me for his death by constantly offering it up as an option throughout the book.

In the same way, Amren's betrayal didn't affect me at all because given her relationship with Varian in addition to her speech about how transforming into her original form would mean that she lost who she had now become. It was obvious that in doing so Amren would consider this a loss too great to risk. She didn't intend to do it because she didn't want to lose the family she'd come to love. So I didn't buy her betrayal.

Also predictable was the girls' father returning with his past actions not being as they all assumed. This is another thing I've come to learn. Any time a character assumes without foolproof knowledge leaves their assumption open for being flat-out wrong. And in this case, it was.

I need to know if there's hope for Elain and Lucien or if their story would end up being one where the mating bond "chose incorrectly."

Similarly, much was said that could indicate that Nesta and Cassian are actually bonded as well. Yet, I couldn't be 100% sure that this was the case. Either way, I'm dying to know.

I feel like I said all I needed to say about Mor. Despite her turning out gay, I was so disappointed that she's been using Azriel as a cover essentially for 500 years. !!!500 years!!! She led him on. She let him continue to love her. Even if she didn't encourage him necessarily, she could have (SHOULD HAVE) been up front with him about her feelings. She didn't even have to explain that she was gay. But she owed it to him at some point during the last 500 years to DISCOURAGE him in a more clear manner than periodically sleeping with someone and rubbing it in his face.

Can't Wait for Brave

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Brave (Contours of the Heart, # 4)

By: Tammara Webber

Expected Publication: December 19th 2017

300 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Courage means rising up to defend your beliefs... or daring to question them.

Erin McIntyre was captivating, but forbidden
His professional subordinate
The embodiment of unearned privilege
The daughter of his sworn enemy

Isaac Maat was impossible to read
Smart, ambitious, and emotionally detached
Hotter than anyone's boss should ever be
And definitely hiding something...

He told himself that getting to know her would help him take down her father.
She told herself that getting under his skin would distract her wrecked heart from its misery.

Neither predicted their private war would lead to an intimate battle in which the victor would be the first one to SURRENDER.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Bright Side - Review

Bight Side (Bright Side, # 1)

By: Kim Holden

Published: July 4th 2014 by Do Epic LLC

423 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you ...
And some will end you.

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.

They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.

And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

I'm not sure why, but the last three out of four books I've read have involved a very similar topic. I haven't sought it out. This has actually been quite random as one was recently recommended to me just as a really good read, one was recommended several months ago and just happened to go on sale recently, and the other was one I received for review. I didn't know anything about the two that were recommended to me, and only read the book description for the other before requesting it for review. Yet each book has been a good bit different from the others. I'll just focus on Bright Side for this review, but I had to mention the coincidence.

As the description says, Kate is extremely optimistic. This is a choice she's made and continually makes to live and think this way. She could easily be negative or pessimistic considering the things that she's been through in her life. Yet she isn't. And this was by far my favorite character trait that she possesses. It takes an incredible individual to choose to see the bright side of every situation they're faced with. So many times characters, and people, just whine and complain and portray themselves as victims. But Kate chooses not to do this.

Kate is also loyal and kind. Because of the difficult things that she's been through and endured she understands how much it means when someone is there for you through your worst days. And how much of a difference it makes when you reach out to someone else, be it to offer them a kind word, take them on as a friend, or to simply sit by them when they make the toughest decisions of their lives.

Yet Kate, and Bright Side, touch on a few subjects that I don't personally support. Despite that, I still fell in love with this story. One of my biggest frustrations with Bright Side was the amount of language. There are f-bombs all over the place. I mean it was really quite ridiculous and this caused me to put the book down rather frequently while reading the first half.

The other characters are vivid as well. Keller and Gus...boy it wasn't always easy to choose between the two. I expected (because I didn't read the description of this book before picking it up), that Kate and Gus would work things out and move past their friendship and into a relationship. Yet when Keller enters the story, I could easily see that Gus wasn't likely to win Kate's heart. Yet Gus still remained my favorite character besides Kate due to his intense friendship with her. Clayton, Peter, Shelly, Duncan, and Stella round out the main cast of side characters. Each added a necessary component to who Kate really was.

I should also mention that Kate doesn't claim to be religious, yet she frequently talked to God throughout the book. Characters that actually believe in God enough to talk to Him are incredibly rare in mainstream young adult and new adult literature. At least that I've found. (Excluding the Christian genre.) I appreciated Kate's relationship with God and this being included throughout the book even if I wish Kate took this relationship a bit further. Either way, thank you Kim Holden for not portraying God in a negative light, and for not having Kate resent Him for the things she's experienced in her life.

Favorite quotes:

-A person knowingly doing harm to his or her body is a pet peeve of mine. A lot of people would give anything for a healthy body. Your body is a temple.

-The happiness, the thoughtfulness, the humor was part of her, but it was also deliberate, a conscious choice.

Bright Side wasn't a perfect read for me as I struggled with the language, and a few side stories don't fit my personal reading preferences. However, this story broke me down. I cried FIVE (let me say that again....FIVE) times while reading this book. Granted, I'm sure a bit of that relates to pregnancy hormones. Plus every time I got to a scene that made me cry, I'd put the book down and come back after I'd composed myself...only to find myself in tears once again. I loved Kate's attitude and her tendency to talk to God. Bright Side gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Bright Side? What did you think? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 2)

By: Sarah J Maas

Published: May 3rd 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

626 pages

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Fae, Faeries

Source: Borrowed from Holly

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

So first things first...what a rollercoaster! At the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre kills two innocent faeries in order to save Tamlin's life. But it goes beyond saving his life. The death of these two fae allowed Feyre to break the curse that Amarantha put on all of Prythian. However, Feyre's really in a dark place because she murdered these two faeries. She's depressed, doesn't feel worthy of having survived or the gift of new, immortal life that she's been given. And I expected from the end of that book that Tamlin might not be the person to help her overcome this place of darkness. So I expected it, but Lacy and Holly also warned me that the first 30ish% of A Court of Mist and Fury would be a struggle to read just as Feyre's struggling to live it. And it was. Or at least the first 25% was for me.

I said "rollercoaster," right? Here's how things went. I was rolling my eyes in the beginning. Drudging through bit by bit. Falling asleep from pregnancy exhaustion and a lack of interest in Feyre's struggles. Then Rhysand calls in his bargain with Feyre and pulls her to the Night Court for a week and I started to feel hope that he might be exactly what Feyre needs to snap out of her darkness. Tamlin does something stupid, and I was back to rolling my eyes. Feyre makes some choices that slow begin to pull her out of her depression and darkness and the seed of hope began again. Of course this part was something that I'd predicted to Holly and Lacy, but I won't state here to prevent spoilers. I was almost scared to hope for what I predicted though so I lived on in a state of anxiousness in this area until about 65-70%. In the meantime, Feyre and gang began to formulate a plan against the bigger bad (bigger than Amarantha),Getting to the 70-80% mark I was feeling all the feels of romance and love and swooning. But of course, we still have 20-30% left so we can't get too comfortable. Bad things must happen and anxiousness sets in again. Sure enough we find ourselves in quite an unfortunate situation where I was a little frustrated and miffed that the characters didn't see this coming. Then outrage over the stupidity of a once beloved character who will have a hard time redeeming themselves if that's even possible. And then furiousness that the book was approaching such a rapid close with the possibility of such a negative cliffhanger approaching. Or not necessarily cliffhanger, but just really negative circumstances for our characters. And then Sarah J Maas swoops in and gives me a bit of relief even if I'm not completely happy with where the book comes to a close. ROLLER. COASTER.

Now I realize that all of that was extremely vague and probably didn't quite help you out if you were having a hard time deciding if you want to read this book/series or not. Well let me just tell...YOU DO! You definitely do want to read this book and this series. Sarah J Maas put a whole new level to every piece of the puzzle being linked and having a double meaning. I mean with my experience through her Throne of Glass series, I knew that she was capable of this, but her storytelling abilities in A Court of Mist and Fury went beyond, beyond, beyond anything I imagined.

As always, the secondary characters are rich and complex and colorful. I look forward so much to the added layers of story that each character (and perhaps a few new couples) might add to the next book/spin off.

I was snapping pictures galore (since I was reading this one on Holly's kindle) of sections that I thought were foreshadowing (one passage I didn't even realize was foreshadowing, but turned out to be major), witty one-liners, heated passages, words that made me swoon. Here are some of my favorite, non-spoiler quotes:

-"There have to be at least a dozen other hunters more experienced and skilled--" "Maybe there are. But you're the only one I trust."

-"You can be a pawn, be someone's reward, and spend the rest of your immortal life bowing and scraping and pretending you're less than him, than..., than any of us. If you want to pick that road, then fine. A shame, but it's your choices."

-"...I'll always make time for you."

-"I love my people and my family. Do not think I wouldn't become a monster to keep them protected."

-"So I followed the bond home."

-"Because you were breaking. And I couldn't find another way to save you."

-"To the stars who listen--and the dreams that are answered."

Oh I had many more quotes but they revealed just a bit too much.

I should have mentioned this in my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses but I do find myself annoyed with the names of people and places that I'm utterly unsure how to pronounce. I like unique, but give me some heads up on how to pronounce them so I'm not either mispronouncing them the entire time, skipping them entirely, or having to stop each time I come to the words to sound them out. The first book did have a pronunciation list at the END of the kindle edition that I read. This would have been better up front. But this book didn't have one at all as far as I recall and there were a few new names/places that could have used some explanation.

Language and sexually descriptive scenes place this series beyond young adult.

Sarah J Maas is a master craftsman when it comes to storytelling. I'll be checking out her future books for sure, and I can't wait to see how this series wraps up. I know there is likely frustration, swoon-worthy moments, and many twists to come. I debated giving A Court of Mist and Fury 4.5 Stars because of the slow beginning, but realized that such a beginning was utterly necessary to the overall story and to the transformation of Feyre's character that A Court of Mist and Fury can only deserve 5 Stars. Have you read A Court of Mist and Fury? What did you think? Let me know!

And because I can't resist discussing this, highlight for spoilers: Sarah J Maas is one of the few authors who has successfully had me jumping ship (relationships that is)...MORE THAN ONCE. After her mastery in this area in the Throne of Glass series, I was prepared for it in this one and actually specifically predicted this very thing to Lacy and Holly. However, to see it play out was masterfully done. And the moment where Rhys reveals all to Feyre from the beginning...before they even met up until that very moment...it was perfection. The slow process of Feyre's personal changes mixed with the inch by inch of Rhys revealing himself to her in just the right amounts and pieces leading to an epically deep bond and love between the two of them. THESE ARE THE LOVE STORIES THAT I LOVE TO READ ABOUT! Obviously there's physical attraction and flirting between the two from the very beginning, but the substance and foundation of their relationship goes so far beyond the physical. And the physical is magnified between them because of their deep emotional and soulful connection.

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Review

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 1)

By: Sarah J Maas

Published: May 5th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

421 pages

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fae, Faeries

Source: Borrowed from Holly

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

After loving the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas, I knew I'd want to check out this series as well. My friend Lacy read all three books really quickly, and with each passing book she kept telling me and Holly how good it was and that we needed to pick it up immediately. I had a few review books that I had to read first, but Holly and I both ended up reading A Court of Thorns and Roses at the same time. Overall, I'd say that my experience was similar to Throne of Glass in that I enjoyed the book, but I can't say that I loved it. However, I see potential for the plot and story to grow over the series. And if Sarah J Maas does this series with the same quality as she has Throne of Glass then the best is definitely yet to come.

Lacy warned me that the beginning of A Court of Thorns and Roses was slow for her and it wasn't until the later half of the book that she felt things begin to pick up. Knowing that, I was prepared for the pacing. Yet I didn't feel like things were too slow. Maybe the first 30% dragged a little, but after that I was hooked and didn't struggle with the speed of events. I did, however, struggle a little with Sarah J Maas's over-description at times. This was particularly so in the last 20% of the book when stakes were high. I wanted her to cut out telling me what things looked like and just get to the action already.

Even though both series are about faeries, I really felt like A Court of Thorns and Roses is more true to the faerie folklore that I'm familiar with (not that I have extensive knowledge)--not being able to tell a lie, tricksters who use specific wording to their advantage, dancing and drinking and spiked food and drink, etc.

Feyre (pronounced Fay-ruh) lives with her father and two sisters. Her mother charged Feyre on her deathbed to take care of her family and keep them together. And everything Feyre's done since has been to honor that vow. The biggest thing is that she's learned to hunt to provide food. But there are dangers in the woods--wolves, High Fae, and worse. Feyre kills a wolf not knowing whether he is a normal wolf or whether he might be a faerie in wolves' clothing. And it turns out that he was more than a normal wolf and the price for killing him is that she's taken captive to live out the rest of her life with Tamlin--the High Lord of the Spring Court.

Feyre endures a slow transition from being angry at her new life to feeling more at home in Prythian than she did with her family. She slowly learns to trust that Tamlin has her safety as a top priority, and things begin to build from there. I really, really, really cannot express the love that I have for slow building romances. And Tamlin and Feyre have a truly slow building relationship that is built on substance above the physical. Relationships of substance are also my favorite.

Yet one of my pet peeves is when everyone else knows the critical information but won't share it with her the main character. This was explained in a way that I couldn't hold it against them, but going through it without knowing the reason isn't always fun.

I can't say that I was entirely surprised with the twists or major plot points. And I do have some predictions for the future of the series that may or may not be right. Lacy and Holly know one of those predictions so we'll see if I'm reading too much into things or if they play out. Yet Sarah J Maas has blown me away with twists that I wasn't expecting in Throne of Glass so I have faith that she can do the same here as well.

I feel like I have much more to say about A Court of Thorn and Roses, but I think I've probably said enough. I loved the slow building relationship between Tamlin and Feyre. And the secondary characters, though I haven't discussed them at all here, were complex and layered. I'm looking forward to more to come with the series. (Although where the book ends, Feyre isn't in the best mental space, and I can't say that I'm looking forward to trudging through what she must go through in the next book even though it will be necessary.) A Court of Thorns and Roses gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read A Court of Thorns and Roses? What did you think? Let me know!

The Butterfly Project - Review

The Butterfly Project

By: Emma Scott

Published: February 21, 2017 by Trillian

256 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon Depository is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--"Where you are is home..."

At age fourteen, Zelda Rossi witnessed the unthinkable, and has spent the last ten years hardening her heart against the guilt and grief. She channels her pain into her art: a dystopian graphic novel where vigilantes travel back in time to stop heinous crimes—like child abduction—before they happen. Zelda pitches her graphic novel to several big-time comic book publishers in New York City, only to have her hopes crash and burn. Circumstances leave her stranded in an unfamiliar city, and in an embarrassing moment of weakness, she meets a guarded young man with a past he’d do anything to change...

Beckett Copeland spent two years in prison for armed robbery, and is now struggling to keep his head above water. A bike messenger by day, he speeds around New York City, riding fast and hard but going nowhere, his criminal record holding him back almost as much as the guilt of his crime.

Zelda and Beckett form a grudging alliance of survival, and in between their stubborn clash of wills, they slowly begin to provide each other with the warmth of forgiveness, healing, and maybe even love. But when Zelda and Beckett come face to face with their pasts, they must choose to hold on to the guilt and regret that bind them, or let go and open their hearts for a shot at happiness.

The Butterfly Project is a novel that reveals the power of forgiveness, and how even the smallest decisions of the heart can—like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings—create currents that strengthen into gale winds, altering the course of a life forever.

#standalone

First off, I really dislike this cover. I feel like it gives off the impression of being a self-published book which might hinder some readers from looking into it deeper. The cover also felt a bit disconnected from the actual story for me.

Another quick aside before I get into the meat of the story is that The Butterfly Project has a small crossover from the Full Tilt series. Zelda was a side character in that series and now she's the leading lady. Theo is mentioned and has an extremely short phone call with Zelda, and that's about it. But I personally appreciated the fan service of tying these two together.

So Zelda left Las Vegas with the dream is getting her graphic novel published. While I've read books in the past that feature authors or aspiring authors, I've never read one who focused on graphic novels so I liked this aspect. It was interesting to see more about her art and process of creating. And of course, it makes sense because Zelda was a tattoo artist in Vegas. While I can see her wanting to pursue a different avenue career-wise, when you're strapped for cash, I find it hard to believe that Zelda could make near the amount of money from waiting tables as she could from tattooing. When things are desperate you tend to go for practical. Or at least, I do. But Zelda's struggling with a traumatic event from her past. She witnessed a terrible crime and it has shaped her in many ways.

As the description says, Beckett served two years in prison for armed robbery. And he's currently on parole. He's spent every day since feeling regret and guilt over the entire situation because a man died. And despite Beckett's attempts to atone by doing good where he can, he doesn't feel that he deserves anything good in his life. He doesn't deserve to be happy. So when Zelda walks into his life he's reluctant to allow the light she brings to lift him up.

Zelda and Beckett have a slow building relationship. They become roommates out of desperate necessity. Then they become friends. Beckett ends up helping Zelda on her graphic novel to the point where they become partners. And eventually it turns into more. And really this slow building relationship is what drew me into this story.

Beyond Zelda and Beckett's relationship, these two both have pasts that they have to work through. They both harbor guilt over things that they couldn't control and didn't directly cause to happen. Zelda's situation was more innocent than Beckett's in that nothing she did caused the pain she feels. Beckett's the opposite. His decisions indirectly contributed to a man's death. Both have to grieve, forgive themselves, and let go in order to move forward. And stories about true forgiveness are usually among some of my favorites because we've all made mistakes. We all need forgiveness, but so often people and characters truly struggle with forgiving ourselves and others for the hurts we've caused and experienced.

The new adult genre almost always brings with it extensive language as well as graphic scenes. This was true for The Butterfly Project. The physical scenes weren't present really until about 70%, but after that they were fairly frequent. There's also child violence touched on. Prison and death penalty also if these things bother or concern you.

I enjoyed The Butterfly Project. I appreciated the crossovers from the Full Tilt series. Zelda and Beckett were easy to like and root for. And more than anything I enjoyed the message of forgiveness woven throughout. The language and physical scenes are always something I find myself mentioning with this genre. but also there were some cheesy lines. In the end, I feel like The Butterfly Project deserves 4 Stars. Have you read The Butterfly Project? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Without Merit

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Without Merit

By: Colleen Hoover

Expected Publication: October 3rd 2017 by Atria Books

384 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us and November 9 comes a moving and haunting novel of family, love, and the power of the truth.

In Colleen Hoover’s gripping novel, reminiscent of the bestselling works of Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes, a young woman decides to reveal the dark secrets of her seemingly-happy family before she leaves them behind, but when her escape plan fails, she must deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth.

I was trying to wait for a more detailed description for this book before I featured it; however, it doesn't appear that we're going to get one. But it is Colleen Hoover so that pretty much guarantees an auto-buy for me. What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

All In - Review

All In (Full Tilt, # 2)

By: Emma Scott

Published: October 11th 2016

296 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--SPOILERS FOR FULL TILT....

Reeling from her loss, Kacey Dawson is grieving and heartbroken, her addictive demons hauling her back into the alcohol-soaked abyss she worked so hard to crawl out of. Kacey teeters on the edge of oblivion, and must fight her way through the pain, to build a new life for herself with her music, and somehow fulfill the promise she made to Jonah…one she feels is impossible to keep.

Theo Fletcher has a secret burning in his heart, one that he holds close, while he struggles to keep strong for his family that is falling apart. His mother’s health is fragile and his father’s disapproval is breaking him down. Theo is afraid if he follows his heart, he’ll fail, and not just himself, but his brother who believed in him when no one else did.

Drawn together by their pain, Theo and Kacey slowly build a friendship, re-forge old ties, help each other to heal, and give one another the courage to reach for their dreams. Together, from the depths of grief and guilt, they learn to laugh again, to trust again, and quite possibly find something beautiful and lasting amid the shattered pieces of their broken hearts.

Part II of the two-part Full Tilt duet, coming Oct 2016

PLEASE NOTE, this novel is NOT a standalone. It is highly recommended one read Full Tilt first to get the entire arc of the story and to avoid spoilers.

I predicted that Kacey and Theo would be the subject of All In while reading Full Tilt. I noticed small things like Kacey thinking Theo fit what she normally would find attractive compared to Jonah and a few things like that, but around the 70% mark when she stopped to ask Theo how he was doing when no one else had I knew that I was right.

Of course considering that I struggled with Kacey and her instincts to drink herself into oblivion when things get tough at the beginning of Full Tilt, it's no surprise that I found myself rolling my eyes at where we find her in All In. And so it felt like a bit of a repeat to see her have to work through this same issue but to an even worse extent than before.

Theo was the true hero of Full Tilt despite how much I loved Jonah. Theo was solid. He was always, always there for everyone. He was constantly looking out for those in his circle. I loved the loyalty and steadfastness of his character. And that was true in All In as well. Theo's journey was about finding a way to continue to take care of those he loves as well as satisfy his own needs and desires. His dreams of owning his own tattoo shop and the girl that he's fallen in love with.

Kacey and Theo have a SLOW building relationship. Theo's feelings have been developing for a lot longer than Kacey's, but Kacey does have a little bit more to work through than Theo does in order to get on the same page. I enjoyed how the slow pace made things feel more authentic. Any faster and Kacey's feelings for Jonah couldn't have been as strong as they were. Yet the gradual development lowered the intensity level for me. Sometimes slow burn makes the pay off even better. Don't get me wrong, I loved the outcome and how things ended up, but I didn't feel the fever to keep reading until I'd read every last page like I did with Full Tilt.

One of my frustrations with Full Tilt revolved around the frequency of sexual scenes, I was happy to see that wasn't the case for All In. Yet the language was just as much.

Favorite quote:

-"Accept that which has ended and let go so you can move on. So you may grow. So you may thrive."

I very much enjoyed All In. I enjoyed the slow build from the end of Full Tilt to the end of this book. Yet the slow burn didn't hold the intensity for me that book 1 had. I loved Theo the most, yet the emotion just wasn't on the same level for me. All In turns out exactly how I wanted and that means it gets 4 Stars. Have you read All In? What did you think? Let me know!

Full Tilt - Review

Full Tilt (Full Tilt, # 1)

By: Emma Scott

Published: June 28th 2016 by Trillian

292 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from Holly

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--"I would love you forever, if I only had the chance..."

Kacey Dawson has always lived life on the edge--impulsively, sometimes recklessly. And now, as lead guitarist for a hot up-and-coming band, she is poised at the brink of fame and fortune. But she is torn between wanting to be a serious musician, and the demons that lure her down the glittering, but alcohol-soaked path of rock stardom. A wrecked concert in Las Vegas threatens to ruin her career entirely. She wakes up with the hangover from hell and no memory of the night before, or how she ended up on her limo driver’s couch...

Jonah Fletcher is running out of time. He knows his situation is hopeless, and he's vowed to make the most of the handful of months he has left to him. His plans include seeing the opening of his glass installation at a prestigious art gallery…they do not include falling in love with a wild, tempestuous rock musician who wound up passed out on his couch.

Jonah sees that Kacey is on a path to self-destruction. He lets her crash with him for a few days to dry out and get her head on straight. But neither of them expected the deep connection they felt, or how that connection could grow so fast from friendship into something more. Something deep and pure and life-changing…something as fragile as glass, that they both know will shatter in the end no matter how hard they try to hold on to it.

Full Tilt is a story about what it means to love with your whole heart, to sacrifice, to experience terrible grief and soaring joy. To live life with all its beauty, and all its pain, and in the end to be able to smile through tears and know you wouldn’t have changed a thing.

***FIRST BOOK IN A TWO PART DUET***

All In (Full Tilt #2) forthcoming...

Kacey isn't one that I would typically connect to. Even when I can intellectually understand how she might have ended up where she has, I don't connect to the character that tries to drown their sorrows in alcohol. Drinking never makes one's problems go away. It only compounds them. And Kacey is no exception. Yet, I can always relate to a character that works to make themselves better. And eventually Kacey does take steps to put herself on a better path. I can respect that.

Jonah was easily relatable. (Why does that seem to happen more often than not?) He steps in like a knight in shining armor to rescue Kacey from herself. He offers her what she's so rarely found...a friend who doesn't want anything from her. Sure Jonah finds her attractive, but Jonah has no intentions of beginning a relationship. I could understand and even respect Jonah's desire to keep Kacey at arm's length. Normally, I find characters that self-sacrifice what they want out of some (usually) misguided attempt to protect the other character super annoying because it isn't typically true self-sacrifice. Yet, I wasn't upset with Jonah for trying to keep his distance, and I wasn't upset when that distance was closed.

Full Tilt is truly like watching a train wreck in the best kind of way. You know the ending is coming from the beginning. You watch it getting closer and closer, and you can't stop it. But you can't look away either. You brace yourself. And when the impact comes you break apart at the destruction and pain before you. That's exactly how I felt. I couldn't put this book down. I knew how it was going to end. I even made a prediction a good bit before the ending about book 2. Yet I found myself literally holding my breath while reading this book. And when that inevitable ending came, my heart broke. The tears fell. And I don't mean just a few. Wow. The feels.

However, one of my pet peeves of the new adult genre was present. I expect physical scenes from this genre, but from about the 50% mark on the scenes were just too frequent for my preferences. And as tends to accompany these scenes and genre, the language was pretty strong and frequent too. Especially the f-bombs. This is something that I've come to expect from the genre, but I don't enjoy it.

Favorite quote:

-"Don't let me vanish, Theo. Please. Help me..."

Full Tilt offered up complex characters with histories meaningful to where they currently are in their lives as well as where they will go in the future. I loved seeing the setup for book 2, All In. And the emotion had me hooked and turning the pages while holding my breath to reach the inevitable heart wrenching conclusion which left me in tears. My few pet peeves of language and sexual content keep me from rating this a full 5 stars. Full Tilt gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Full Tilt? What did you think? Let me know!