REVIEW; Ruin (Ruin #1), by Rachel Van Dyken

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Recommend: Yes

Book 1 of 3

SPOILERS 

Summary:

Kiersten is from a small town and a sheltered life when she moves to college. She suffers from nightmares and depression and tries her best to hide all this. On her first day of college she literally bumps into Wes Michals - who happens to be her RA. 
She soon realises he is a true friend she can rely on and in no time things become more as she spends Thanksgiving with him and his father. Little could prepare Kiersten for the secrets Wes harbors though, as she realises everyone has a past, but not all have a future. 

My Thoughts:

To start with I found the writing and first meeting of the two main characters to be awkward and cringe. Ruin had received such positive and high-rated reviews but I can't help but feel a little bit disappointed. I don't see what the huge fuss was... I never really warmed to Wes. I really didn't find the banter back and forth believable or charming in the slightest.

POV: There is dual POV in this and it didn't work. The only way I could distinguish between if it were Wes or Kiersten was just from who was being addressed. The writing style didn't change depending on who it was and it often changed mid scene, just making the exchanges harder to follow. 

Insta-Love: Deduct a star immediately. Kiersten slams right into Wes and he instantly falls for her. So bored of it. Absolute no reason for even a sparked interest in an attempt to make it develop naturally or anything- just two characters inseparable from first sight. It all just makes it more difficult to believe their feelings are real and genuine and not clouded by lust. 

Wes: I didn't really like him much. I guessed his secret from the beginning, or near enough. I didn't really like his cocky attitude at the start and saw nothing to see why Kiersten warmed to him. 

"I'm going to make it so hard for you to forget this first kiss that you don't want anyone else kissing you ever again. When the guy you fall in love with kisses you - it better put this kiss to shame - if it doesn't, then he isn't the right guy. Because I'm going to do a damn good job, and I want the guy that earns you, that takes that heart of yours and holds it in the palm of his hands... I want that guy to be able to make you feel things I'll just be tapping into. Do you understand, Kiersten?" 

Maybe that sort of romantic declaration is what a lot of girls want to hear, but for me... major cringe when you hardly even know the guy! By the end, I felt like he was a totally different character beyond what had been already depicted and much preferred that side of him. 

Overall:

I've read other books by the author and loved them so presumed I'd enjoy this. For some reason the characters just didn't work this time for me. The writing style didn't flow like I expected and it was awkward at times.

Goodreads 

REVIEW; Royal (Rixton Falls #1), by Winter Renshaw

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Recommend: Meh

Book 1 of 3

SPOILERS 

Summary:

Demi has been in love with her older brother's best friend Royal since she can remember. But at 18 he leaves her family and her father forbids her from ever contacting him again. He's gone. 
7 years later Royal turns up on Demi's doorstep as she holds vigil by her fiancé's hopsital bedside as he lies in a coma. But her fiancé had broken up with her before he crashed and now Demi feels she must stay by him. Even more reason to stay away from Royal... especially as she can't afford to be heartbroken again. But Royal is not going to walk away so easily this time.

My Thoughts:

In a nutshell - I was expecting more. 

This took me over a week to read at a time where I didn't have a lot going on... and for me, that's a long time. 

Angst: There was a great amount of angst in this and I presume the purpose was to build suspense and propel the plot but I got so wound up and frustrated. If Royal and Demi could just stop for 2 seconds and just TALK about things instead of shutting down and jumping to conclusions and making promises and gestures but never acting on it... good grief! It was exhausting. 

Demi: Half the time I feel for her, other half I want to shake her up. She was stuck in a tough spot knowing Brooks had cheated on her and left her but no one else knowing she she had to stay by him for appearance's sake. But it was all going to come out anyway re the credit cards and the reported being pregnant and Demi planning on setting her lawyer father after her so why even bother keeping up the act!? Nevermind she was terrible at it, walking out of his charity event and allowing Royal to park his car - overnight - at her house! Just cut the damn strings and grow a pair! 

Royal: So I liked him... sort of. I guessed in some way why he had gone away for 7 years and wasn't far wrong. But I didn't like how he shied away from just being honest to Demi. He deserved for Pandora to go and tell Demi before he did. He wanted the best of both worlds - to walk back into Demi's life with NO explanation - "yet" - but immediately pick up where they left off... 

Story: It was focused a lot on Royal trying to win back Demi but I skim read a lot of it. There was drama involving Brooks and his affair and manipulation of Demi. For a book with a lot of dialogue there was very little said and I lost interest quite quickly. Neither Demi or Royal were willing to discuss actual issues or their situations - but they were willing to rekindle their long lost relationship physically while Demi delved into a battle of if she could trust him or not... 

Overall:

This just wasn't for me. There was too much unsaid and it caused immense frustration and annoyance beyond the usual tension level. 

Goodreads 

REVIEW; Rebel (Rebel Wheels #1), by Elle Casey

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Recommend: Yes

Book 1 of 3

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Teagan Cross discovers her father has died and left everything to his new wife. She needs a job - fast. Following rejection after rejection Teagan forces herself into the local garage, Rebel Wheels, on a trial to tidy up the place and restore some order. She forces herself into Rebel's life, and he reluctantly accepts her as he soon realises he needs her just as much as she him. But as information surrounding Teagan's father's death comes to light, she realises she is not as safe as she thought. 

My Thoughts:

Teagan: She really made me laugh so many times. Her brutal honesty and constant running mouth were hilarious, especially in contrast to Rebel. She had bursts of confidence that led her down dangerous and exciting paths, but yet the vulnerable aspect to her character was evident at times. She really felt like a great rounded character - terrified of life ahead but putting on a brave face to attack the world. Her whole world pretty much falls apart and yet she's too proud to accept hand outs from her friend and is hellbent on earning her keep. I love her fighting attitude. 

Rebel: It's rare to read a male character and not see the feminine writer shine through. Rebel said very little - like a usual guy, and won my heart over. The banter between the pair was hilarious, especially as he often responded by not replying at all. Also, 1 star for being a mechanic who knows muscle cars. Have to say as a car girl, it's refreshing to find a story based in a garage with a good depth of info. 

Drama: There was a good underlying mystery to all of this surrounding the death of Teagan's father which added a serious and dangerous element alongside the blossoming relationship. Probably was a little bit over the top but I can't say I minded. It was a good climax to make Rebel cop on and actually make a move on Teagan. 

Overall:

This was a free book when I got it and I always expect them to be sub-par but this definitely surprised me. Like finding a gem among a bunch of rubble stones. It was hilarious and exciting and such a great story. 

Goodreads 

REVIEW; Ugly Love, by Colleen Hoover

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance, Suspense

Recommend: No

Standalone

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Tate Collins moves in with her pilot brother, and meets his friend who lives across the hall - Miles Archer. Getting off on the wrong foot, they both share a mutual hatred and attraction for each other. As they both allow the attraction to win over hatred, rules are set. No past, no future - just the present without any promises. Tate believes this is enough as she tries to dance around Miles' pushing and pulling and constantly be what he wants of her. But when she finally puts herself first, is it too late or can they have a future together?

My Thoughts:

Writing: One of the best things about Colleen Hoover's work is her writing style. All of her novels are so quirky and presented in such unique ways that just captivate the reader at how she pushes the boundaries again and again. 

Romance: Hmm... this is where the book fell for me. In one way, it was a beautiful tragedy of sorts. I couldn't feel the chemistry between Tate and Miles. I understood (sadly) the battle Miles was facing about being afraid of loving again as the possible hurt just isn't worth it and thought his internal battle about getting close to Tate was depicted well. For once, the male character who doesn't want to settle down didn't waver at first glance and stuck to his guns, and for this, I applaud. 

Tate: I'm torn between loving and hating Tate - a good thing in this instance I think. It's very easy for women to judge the female character for letting herself be used and abused and hiding her feelings just for some time with the guy she likes. We're all guilty for causing our own pain and being available at the drop at a hat. But it's a little teenager/early 20's move. At Tate's age I sort of wanted her to be a bit stronger, even just at moments when Miles totally broke her heart and yet she still didn't make him wait or sweat it out. I really wanted her to just lose it with him for once! She was way too patient. 

POV: The dual point of view in this novel was split in time as well; Tate's POV set in the present and Miles back when he was 18 and in a relationship with his first love. This half worked; I wanted to know what had happened to Miles and this kept my interest, but I did speed read his parts. It sometimes felt like more of a filler in-between building the suspense between Tate and Miles sorting their shit out. 

Overall:

Honestly, this wasn't as good as I was expecting, but was still an enjoyable read that definitely pulled on the heart strings. I think maybe, I'm just over the dramatic love stories for the time being...

Goodreads