REVIEW; At The Stars (Evergreen Grove #1), by Elizabeth Staab

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: New-Adult, Romance,

Recommend: Yes

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Cassie up's and leaves her home town to escape, following the death of her mother. Leaving everything behind, she finds herself in Evergreen Grove after her car broke down in the middle of a rain storm. 
Jake saves Cassie from being run over by a truck in the middle of the same storm, and instantly forms a sense of duty to look out for her, feeling like he has been given a second chance at being a good person. 
But both have pasts and secrets and their own demons to deal with, but can they allow themselves a chance at love? 

My Thoughts:

This is a brilliant example on how to write NA without using the over-used additions of possessiveness and insta-love but instead create a beautiful web of true love and overcoming self set restrictions.

Cassie: After being sexually attacked, witnessing a murder and then having her mother commit suicide, Cassie needs to escape her home and try to forget. Aiming to just keep driving and see where she ends up, another small town is the last place she expects to be. Cassie has lived through trauma of all sorts, and is trying to find herself and get past it all. What's wonderful about her is that she is far from some helpless girl suffering in need of saving. She has accepted all that has happened and is actively working through it on her own. This makes for a fantastic heroine. She doesn't need Jake for any self accepting or validation or to help her cope.

Jake: He is a very complex and interesting character. He is not your typical bad boy having done "something bad" and in need for reform. He killed someone and has a past, but alike Cassie, he doesn't need her to save or change him. He does go Alpha Male over Cassie but not in a possessive and clingy method that's off-putting. He is able to give her space but also be the one to go to her first.

Story: So, it's a little cliché with both characters having traumatic pasts etc but it works. It's not a chain of self pity and depression but more about accepting your self worth and allowing people to see the best in you. Taking that leap of trusting someone. The romance was beautiful! It was so slow and built up with a great level of tension as they both developed and grew closer.

Overall: 

This was a brilliant read with great characters. The writing was solid and the story told from both POV of Cassie and Jake, letting the reader get in to their heads and understand their reasoning for everything. I just wish the second book followed on with their story rather than Dante's.  

Goodreads 

REVIEW; Demons From My Past, by J.L. Leslie

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Recommend: Yes

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Kingsley is a young woman trying to move on from her past with drugs. Accepting a job at her father's firm is meant to be the chance to rekindle a relationship with him, but from her first step inside the building, she realises he will never take her seriously. 
Not only that, Paxton is the CFO of the company, a man who previously kissed Kinglsey at a bar. Kingsley has a fight on her hands; to gain her father's trust, work out her relationship with Paxton, and also try to escape her past for good.

My Thoughts:

*** Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! ***

The story begins from Kingsley's POV, as we meet her in a nightclub before she performs with her band. She meets Paxton who is out with workmates, and after some flirting they kiss. The romance begins when Kingsley goes to her first day of work and realises who he really is as he begins to play the mind games of wanting her one minute, steering clear the next.

Kingsley: I liked her but wanted more from her. This story isn't a long one so it limits the amount of depth that can be achieved so character development is restricted. She had a strong history and structure - a recovering drug addict, covered in tattoos (so is judged), cast off by her father and attempting to make peace. From all this I expected a much more fiery attitude whereas often she seemed to bite her tongue when I feel she should've spoken out more. She allowed her father to stomp on all her efforts to prove herself and from that, I suppose I admired her determination to not let him win by breaking her. She also became enraptured by Paxton fairly soon - just from a kiss, so it sort of led to an insta-love scenario of sorts. 

Paxton: Wasn't too much of a fan of him. We only got snippets from his POV so limited time to understand his persona or mind. He had demons of his own and I wish again, the story was longer to allow for more emotional or deeper investment of the reader to his past. All of his secrets were revealed and packed away just as quickly that I, personally, didn't really feel sympathy or sadness for what he endured. Also, that hot and cold act, although briefly justified, I wouldn't have accepted the attitude/actions as easily as Kingsley did and for me, this took away from their dynamic. 

Story: I love the concept of this. But for the amount of drama it had, it needs to be longer to adapt the pacing to an appropriate level. There are multiple story lines unfolding and at times some of them were just too squeezed to allow them decent development. I would have liked more insight into the drugs aspect of things seeing as this turned out to play a vital role in everything later on and been apart of Kingsley struggle to properly break free from her past. 

Writing: The standard of writing in this is good, it all makes for easy reading as the story just unfolds naturally. The only criticism is the pacing, which already been discussed. I liked that some chapters were told from Paxton's POV, especially before the end few scenes, to allow the reader some insight into his feelings and outlook on everything between them. 

(Mobi version does need formatting; some speech lines from different characters on the same line, chapters ending and starting on the one page, blank pages inbetween etc)

Overall:

I think this has a lot of potential. There is a unique spin on the story line and makes for a very exciting and mysterious read. If it could be longer just to allow more development and depth to the story and characters, this could definitely be a 5 star read. 

Goodreads 

REVIEW; Fallen Crest University (Fallen Crest High #5), by Tijan

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance, Suspense, Dark

Recommend: Yes

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Samantha is reunited with Mason and Logan at university. They all share one enemy, Park Sebastian. 

After Mason set  fire to their fraternity house, if he steps out of line his future is over. Sebastian knows this and has set his eyes on targeting Sam, to provoke Mason. 

Sam wants to take him on herself and protect Mason. But when she realises she can't even trust her friends to be who they claim to be, Sam discovers the real danger she is in, and also some cruel truths about her own life come to light. Can the trio survive this, or is this finally what breaks them?

My Thoughts:

Fallen Crest High was my favourite series. When I read book 1 I was hooked like never before. But, somehow, I feel like the stories are weakening and I'm not sure why. I think maybe 5 books is just too many and the characters are becoming weaker or more transparent... or at least the relationship between Sam and Mason is.

Sam: I feel in this she went a little backwards. She has gone through so much and I expected more fight in her. I also found her boring... Her character just seemed so flat and feeble at times. I also ended up skipping any romantic scenes between her and Mason. Not sure why, but I just lost interest in them two this time round. There were many of secrets/lies in this but I found the over-reacting of Sam and Mason just annoying. After everything, I just would have expected them to be more mature with each other and actually understand the reasoning behind any secrets.

Mason: Mason was still himself in this book. He is hellbent on protecting Sam but also focusing on not being caught stepping out of line so to not threaten his career. But I want the scary, ruthless, intimidating Mason back. Not sure if it is because being with Sam has softened him up, but I want him and Logan back as being the threatening presence they once were.

Logan: Thank God Logan is in this story. This would not be a 4 star review without him. He really kept the story solid in my opinion, with his typical "charm", humour and antics. He seems to be the only character still true to the initial one we met back in book one.

Writing: I love Tijan's writing but I found it difficult to follow this one a little. Possibly due to not being able to sit down and get a good amount of reading time in, but the constant changing of POV per chapter and the lack of name use when people spoke, made it difficult to remember who was who. e.g. using I, he, she, we instead of naming people. As I said, this could be my fault though.

Overall: 

Fifth book in the series, it was good, had the drama and everything we expect from Fallen Crest and Tijan. But perhaps time to wrap it all up? 

Goodreads 

REVIEW; The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Romance, Humour, Contemporary

Recommend: Yes

No SPOILERS

Summary:

Don Tillman wants to get married. But any woman he finds is no match for him. He develops The Wife Project, a questionnaire that he gives to any possible woman who may have his interest. This prevents the waste of time in finding out undesirable qualities further down the line. 
But then there is Rosie. She fails on multiple aspects and definitely is not suitable for Don. But soon, his Wife Project is put aside to help Rosie with The Father Project. As Don spends more time with Rosie to help her find her real father, he begins to wonder if his questionnaire is the be all and end all of finding a wife.

My Thoughts:

Don: Don has Aspergers Syndrome, but isn't aware. He just thinks he is different to everyone else. Bound by routine, he feels he is missing something to understand human behaviour. He creates The Wife Project to find his ideal woman, with unique parameters such as how early/late one turns up to events or what is their favourite flavour of ice-cream. The story is presented from his POV and gives the reader a unique insight into seeing the world from a different perspective. But it was missing the emotional impact. Don was aware of his unique-ness and how different he was to everyone else, but the author never delved into revealing how Don felt about all this laughing and pointing, as if he was immune to it all. 

Rosie: Rosie fails The Wife Project test so Don discounts her. Rosie, however, was totally unaware this project even existed and befriends Don for his help in finding her biological father. Unbeknownst to Don, she is actually the perfect match. She is smart and independent, and not interested in changing Don so he would "fit in" more in social situations. It bothered me a little how "perfect" she was. She was a bit too quirky and quite defensive and harsh, I just didn't really warm to her too much. 

Story: The story is a really great one, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their adventures. Their was obviously the underlying romantic thread but it didn't dominate over Don and Rosie's building friendship. I liked the investigation of discovering the truth about Rosie's father and the journey it brought both characters on. 

Overall: 

I found this a light read in the end. I think I expected something a little more robust, but taking the whole story quite lightly highlights the comedic aspect of everything and presents an enjoyable, different story.

Goodreads

REVIEW; Afraid to Fly (Fear of Falling #2), by S.L. Jennings

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: New-Adult, Romance, Suspense, Dark

Recommend: Yes

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Dominic Trevino, or Dirty Dom, doesn't do love. He has the support of Angel and Kami and doesn't need anyone else. He sleeps with girls as a past-time and a way to escape the trauma of his youth. He feels numb. 
Then he meets Raven. She makes him break free from the hatred and loathing he has wrapped himself in, but she has a past of her own and secrets that could make Dom regret trusting someone again. Can the two of them learn to forgive and love each other? Or will their past prevent them from their future?

My Thoughts:

***Fear of Falling Review***

Dominic: We get to read about Dom in more detail here. We discover more about his abuse and torment and get into his head. We also see how much he loves Kami and views her relationship with Blaine. I love how, even though he suffered a horrible past and childhood, he's put that experience towards helping other kids who are struggling and to try and help them. His character is so admirable. Now, he's no book boyfriend for me (Blaine won that one) but he has definitely got best friend material going on as Kami is one lucky girl having his support and admiration.

Raven: I loved Raven. I preferred her to Kami and although it annoyed me how she was so cruel to Dom, it was totally justified when the truth all came out. I love how S.L.Jennings manages to create intricate pasts and plots and yet steer clear of stereotypes. Raven's hatred for Dom was justified but when the reader sees things from Dom's point of view, your heart just breaks for them both. Raven is so strong and independent and almost stoic. She is so protective over her younger brother and he plays a cheeky role in getting the pair together. She is presented in a sort of bad light, we don't know anything about her and just see her being a bitch for no reason, but when all is discovered it just creates a wonderful spread of complex characters.

Romance: Similar to in Fear of Falling, the romantic element in this is executed so carefully and eloquently. The relationships in this go further than your average romance as they are all a family and support network. It's heart-warming watching Raven being welcomed into the family and become one of them and begin to trust Dom, despite it being so difficult for her to do so. Every emotion and exchange is so raw and strong, it adds so much depth and weight to it all, ultimately constructing such a captivating and engulfing read.

Overall: 

Almost surpassing Fear of Falling, Afraid to Fly is a beautiful second installment, still featuring Blaine and Kami, creating a wonderful overlap of both stories. Heartwarming and raw, it will have you in tears. 

Goodreads 

REVIEW; Push The Envelope, by Rochelle Paige

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance,

Recommend: No - DNF

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Alexa juggles her studies with flying planes to offer a Mile High service after learning to fly alongside her father. Since having her heart broken, no boy features on her radar until she meets Drake. 
Drake could have any girl he wants, and when he spots Alexa across campus before they even meet, he knows he wants her. Not used to being rejected, he doesn't give up in convincing her to give him a chance. 

My Thoughts:

I don't even know if there's much point in writing much else! This was terrible... sorry to the author but this had everything I hate in a book... I really tried to even skim read but in the end it got progressively worse it was a DNF...

Alexa: I don't mind when the protagonist is "weak" etc but Alexa was just annoying and a contradiction. She had her heart broken and so had no interest in guys. But when she sees Drake she instantly falls for him based on his looks - so lust, fairly common. Yet when she turns up to fly her plan and Drake is her passenger, she falls immediately for his charm even though she is meant to have trust issues and not be interested. She lets him hold her hand before anything has even happened and woo her in front of her father! It's just major cringe and typical. If she was so upset and heartbroken from her previous relationship, where was the guarded and hurt Alexa? Instead, we got an absolute push over who allowed herself to just be spoken to and treated like shit!

Insta-Love: PET HATE RIGHT THERE! The pair fall for each other based on first sight. And Drake is meant to be the number on player but yet when he sees Alexa on campus he decides he wants her. And when they do finally get to meet he doesn't try to charm her into liking him, just decides they're going to be together because he likes her and she just happily follows along!!! For someone who's had her heartbroken, she's going down the good route for a repeat!

Drake: He's not even portrayed as being a character any female could like. Apart from his apparent good looks, his personality is shit. He takes on this horrible smothering possessive nature with Alexa in some Alpha-Male attitude that is so unromantic and clingy, I'd run a mile and then keep going. He is also way too deep and chatty for a boy, and even more so for someone who's meant to be the top lad out there. FEMALE AUTHORS, PLEASE NOTE YOUNG MEN DO NOT DO DEEP AND MEANINGFUL, at least not on the first date or in the early stages of meeting someone. Of course, mainly are capable, but it's not a side shown when trying to charm a girl. He is completely disrespectful, arrogant and chauvinistic in how he looks and treats Alexa, but his behaviour is romanticised as if his actions are totally justified and usual. He is the epitome of what I do not want in a guy...

Overall: 

Sorry, but this wasn't for me. Typical, over done, "pretty heroine unaware of her beauty who transforms the man whore into a one woman man with one glance". So much no.  Male character is awful and if that's the example the author is setting for young readers on what is the standard of how to be treated, I worry. This book is all tell tell tell, there's nothing left for the reader to feel or work out. Don't treat your reader like they need everything spelled out on the page for them, it just pisses us off...

Goodreads