Torn about my feelings on this one
925415
I think this has to be one of the most anxiously awaited IAD installments ever and I devoured the book, but now that's its over, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it.  The writing is excellent, the wit and humor is as wonderful as ever where appropriate, and there's a whole lot of emotion to process through, but ultimately, I felt like Lothaire and Elizabeth had the least amount of chemistry so far in the entire series.  Hard to believe after Dreams of a Dark Warrior, but there you have it.  This by no means implies that it's not a good read, but the things that I truly loved about it had nothing to do with Lothaire and Elizabeth and everything to do with Lothaire's backstory, his relationship with Nix, which is outstanding, and his relationship with both Emma and Kristoff.  Put together, if you're even a remote fan of the series, this is a must read, but may not be as romantically satisfying as the others.  If you've never read the series, this is not the place to start, not because you can't follow along, but part of what makes it good is the answers we get to other books.

Lothaire, the bad boy red eyed vampire, has been lurking in just about every corner of the series to date and all his strange appearances and spying in the shadows is finally explained.  It all comes down to his "Endgame" and a big part of that is his Bride.  For the entire series, Lothaire's heart has been beating for her, but there's one hiccup.  His Bride, the Goddess of death and bloodshed, is stuck in the body of one puny hillbilly human who fights her every step of the way for control.  As Lothaire searches to find a way to kill off the mortal's soul so his bride can remain, he starts to second guess whether the Goddess is his Bride or the mere mortal that fate couldn't possibly have paired him with.

As I mentioned earlier, the backstory of Lothaire is fantastic and ultimately, Elizabeth is a great match for him in a Pride and Prejudice kind of way, but the only tie they really had was physical.  Lothaire is not an easy person to love, even though you get a glimpse of the justifiable reasons behind it.  Quite frankly, Lothaire wasn't as charming and sarcastic as his previous appearances. One of my favorite lines from him in the previous book was "You want her so badly?  Perhaps you oughtn't have had your lackeys mutilate her.  Just a thought."  He definitely could have used some of his own courting advice this go around.  The revelation of his history with Nix is the best part of the story and the ending has me salivating to see what comes next.  It's definitely worth the read and a must for the series, but falls short in romantic chemistry.
116259
I was so glad to get Skye and Danny's book but I have a lot of mixed emotions about this book.  Skye was so wishy-washy.  She wanted him but she didn't. I understand she wanted a life away from the club, but you could tell how much she did love Danny.

Just when she decides to want to be with him, he's happy and has moved on.  I was so sad for Danny because he tried so hard to be with Skye and you could tell how much he loved her. I didn't understand Preston at all and thought he was quite strange and didn't fit in.  I would have loved to have gotten Danny's pov as well, besides just Skye's.

Once all of the drama between them was sorted out, I was happy by the end.  I loved seeing more of the club and when she is put in danger, poor Cade broke my heart by seeing how much he loved his daughter and only wanted to keep her safe.  I hope to get Max's story because I'm so curious about him.
2670510
Ugh. How do you rate this book?

I can't say that I liked it per se.

Cathy
On one hand I sympathized with Cathy because having one miscarriage is hard but having more than one? I completely understand how that could change you and change your marriage. On the other hand I hated Cathy. I think she was attention starved to the point where she made bad decisions because she knew they were wrong and they weren't the "safe" choice and that's the only way she could elicit emotion in her life at the time, making her feel "alive."

Ben
Seriously, this guy got put through the wringer and I felt soooo bad for him because he seemed to be a really great husband. I think Cathy treated him unfairly. I really do. She checked out and left him behind. I understand why but I don't agree with her reasoning. Some people hide their pain better than others, some people are glass half full and don't dwell on the negative and I think she punished Ben for being that type of person when she was not.

Arsen
I don't like him. I never liked him. I think he was an opportunist and spoiled and used to getting his way and totally disregarded anyone's feelings but his own...which I still don't believe to be genuine. Maybe I'm not being fair to him and maybe if I read the whole story in his POV I would feel differently. If you want to change your image then change it, but don't act like you're poorly treated and misunderstood when you 100% embrace and feed into the image people have of you.

With all that being said, I think this was written in a very real way and I applaud the author for going there, for showing us the nitty gritty side of life because it happens and it's messy. The heart and love is messy and when the brain gets clouded by lust all rational thought can go out the window.
2714716
I received a free copy via Inked Rainbow in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this book because I liked the premise and I love reading good stories about trans characters. I'm really torn on how I feel about this one.

On the one hand, I really liked the characters. Lydia was sweet and funny, and I loved Callum. With the exception of Lydia's mother, I thought her family was great. There were a number of supporting characters I really liked as well.

On the other hand, I found so many little things that frustrated me. One or two things might not have been a big deal, but that many were distracting. I feel like trans people reading this might want to be forewarned, and people hoping to understand being trans might come away more confused than before. So here are the things which left me feeling uncomfortable.

There were some factual inaccuracies (for example, the FDA has no official stated policy on trans blood donation, and if you've changed your gender with Social Security, no one could tell that way that you're trans; discrimination happens, but in the scenario in the story, it's highly unlikely--I just can't give spoilers for why). The timeline was really confusing with flashbacks to Lydia's life before she left, and it felt like there were holes there. I was put off by constant references to "the sex change thing" and other outdated language. Agatha was potentially a great character, but it got lost in their constant name changes (Agatha, Agnes, Aggie, Ags--which I couldn't tell if they were related to Agatha's in the moment sense of gender or just an error or some other reason) and referring to being gender fluid as "split personalities." Laney identifying as "not into men" but being interested in Benji was also horribly problematic (trans men are men, not some other gender unless they state otherwise and definitely are not lesbians). The trans characters often referred to their dead names (pre-transition/birth-assigned names). Almost all the trans characters were basically heterosexual, and Lydia kept referring to "real sex" despite having been intimate in many ways with Callum by that point. There was heavy focus on "passing" and having sex reassignment surgery. The plot device at the end was a bit over the top for my preference as well.

I'm glad to see more people taking an interest in writing about trans characters, and I hope the trend continues. I did enjoy the love story, but the other elements made it hard to concentrate on that aspect. I guess this just wasn't really the book I hoped it would be.
1947622
It's been a few hours that I'm trying to put this review together but I can't.
I'm still undecided if I liked the book or not. I'll try to explain my reasons the best I can.

. I wasn't able to connected with the character's story. It's not that I couldn't relate to them but I couldn't emphasized with them.

. Ashton the not so adorable a**hole. Did I miss something? He used Livie numerous of time then he'd disposal her like she was garbage. Yeah, he did have his "reasons" but I'm sorry I don't root for guys that treat girls like that. I didn't believe their relationship. Something was off, so i didn't care. I didn't understand their "love" . or should I say hormones? I actually think that this would be the first time that I would have been okay if a couple didn't end up together,

. I hate love triangles. So don't get me started with a love rectangle. And with good people that don't deserve to be part of one.

. If you have friends, sister and psychiatry like that you don't need enemies

I know that so far I only mentioned the bad things and here's that gets tricky because even with all those things that got on my nerves I actually liked reading the story. I was entertained for a few hours and I don't think I waste my time reading it.

So "One Tiny Lie" is a love story that i didn't root for but was entertaining nonetheless
3871134
After reading some of the other reviews here I don't feel so bad about mine.

The best I can say is contrived.

The down side to ARC reads.
1793587
I liked this one until I didn't anymore.  I don't know why but the way Vic just openly said that he had sex with Arianna just kinda turned me off hardcore.  I think a lot of my problem with it is because she also had sex with Link the H from her marked series.  I feel like that info was completely unnecessary.  I mean I know that I'm picky and that wasn't the only thing I didn't like but at that point I checked out of the story completely.  He also just stood there why Arianna flirted with him, sure he turned her down but made no move to show her that he was committed to Freya which is crucial for me.  I also feel like he was just too secretive.  I get that he didn't want her to know everything cause he's gotta be discreet with his job, but he really refused to share anything with her.  I don't think she had enough of a backbone honestly.  He'd give her a look or kiss her and she'd melt.  I found myself rolling my eyes way too much.  I think if we were given his pov, it could have been a lot better but with just hers, no way.  She let him get away with way too much and didn't call him on any of it.  I'm trying to remember why I liked the marked series so much.  This will be the last book the I read from this author.  The last 40% just left me feeling worse and worse.  Writing a book is hard work, no doubt and I'm not knocking her skills, I just really really hated the story.
3190583
Actual Rating: 2.5

I am conflicted about how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed feeling the confusion and loss that our MC feels in the beginning. I liked the descriptive setting. (view spoiler) I could see images of the setting clearly in my head. On the other hand, I disliked the majority of the characters. As the plot continued on I understood why they were that way, but I still did not like them. I think the only character I didn't mind was Spingate. I also felt we had to wait so long to figure anything out. Almost 80% of the book passes before we get any knowledge as to who, what, when, where, and why. So while I enjoyed the confusion at first, I felt frustrated that there was no concrete evidence to direct the ideas forming in my head. For me, there was just not enough development and action.
568366
When S.C. Stephens announced that she was giving us Kellan's side of things, I was through the roof ecstatic. I immediately started thinking of all the scenes that I would love to read from his POV. Like the rain scene. Or after their first night together. Or the espresso stand! I even wanted to know his side of the night in the kitchen when he was caught "dating" again. There were just SO. MANY. MOMENTS I wanted to know what HIS thoughts and feelings were.

I've gone back and forth on my rating for this book since finishing. I finally decided on 3 stars because while I did like the book, I didn't love it. Needless to say, it absolutely KILLS me to write a review that reflects anything but complete and total love for a book starring my main man. But I wouldn't be doing my job as an HONEST reviewer if I didn't express my true feeling.

And I'm sad to say, I just didn't get what I was looking for with Thoughtful.

My major issue with Thoughtful is that I didn't feel the emotions I did while reading Thoughtless or even Effortless and Reckless. Well, that's not true, there was one emotion I did feel and it was anger. I was never one of the Keria haters but this book had me ready to switch sides. Getting to read Kellan's inner thoughts sure made it clear the damage she did to him. It also sadly made him a character I didn't recognize.

I am just going to end my review here. While Thoughtful didn't turn out to be all I was expecting, Kellan Kyle is and always will be my number one book boyfriend!
3965874
This book is, I don't know it gives me mixed feelings. Some parts of me just really enjoys the book and other parts of me is like meh. The story is very interesting and well written. But it feels like something is missing but I cant really say what it is.

The cover is beautiful and do represent the story in some aspect but not in others. This story is a bit different, but that is in a good way. I enjoyed it but I think that due to everything going on around me made me not really appriciate this book as much as I had hoped. The book was a quick easy read. I wish I could tell what I feel is missing but when I don't know myself its hard. I just know I got the feeling that something was missing.

I would recommend for others to read this book because it isn't a bad book or a badly written story, it is just not a book that cought me which is strange due to my love of dogs and animals. The book is worth reading.
1750754
Dorothy Love is a talented writer and she grabs your interest and keeps it.  However, I have mixed feelings about this book.  I think I understand what she was trying to portray in this book.  I also understand she was writing with the prejudices of the times in mind.  But I still wish she had made a bolder statement that our skin color, our heritage, our culture - none of that matters to God or to those that love us.  In some of the language and thoughts of the characters it was as if Ethan loved the heroine DESPITE her mixed heritage.  I found that offensive.  I would rather that he had told her he loved her as she was and embraced her WITH the mixed heritage.  Throughout the book the heroine wonders if he can accept and love her if her knows what is in her mixed blood.  I realize these are realistic feelings a person may have but I don't feel the book ever addressed her accepting who she was.

Another point I had mixed feelings about is that neither of the main characters really knew for sure if each other was a Christian until near the end of the book.  It seems if you are a Christian it should be obvious to those around you.

I received this book free for a review from Booksneeze.com.  I was not required to write a positive review.
2615324
It is such a mixed bag of emotional upheaval. The story ends on a cliffhanger that doesn't really make sense to me, so I'm unsure how I feel.  The author spoke about the challenges mass annihilation would have, but things moved too fast for any of that to happen yet. I'm curious to know what happens next but worry I'll be irritated too.  I'm invested in the characters and so far the loss of the ones who have died haven't been handled with the gentleness I would want. At the same time I get it because when there is so much loss, how is one to process specific loss.  Ugh.  Worth reading even though I'm mixed about my feelings.
2150373
I have such mixed feelings on this book.  It was well written, hilarious, and easy reading.  But some parts of it left me feeling so frustrated, distressed, and helplessly enraged about what this woman had gone through.  Three parts in specific made me want to reach through the pages and strangle her for being so passive and allowing people to steamroll right over her: the grocery clerk ordering her to put her stuff back on the shelves, the awful incompetent judge, and the welfare-office lady who insisted her card was working and ordered her to leave.  In those three instances I would've been FURIOUS and either made a big scene or followed up with a formal complaint and raising hell in every kind of possible way under the sun.  Instead Hogan does nothing, and just puts up with it?  That's when she chooses to be a victim, instead of taking charge.

But then again, if she had reacted any differently, WOULD that have really gotten her any farther?  Maybe that's what makes me so worried with these parts of the book, I'm even troubled at my OWN reaction to being in these scenarios - like I'm a control freak who deplores not being in charge of everything and always knowing what's going on.  To be in her shoes would be a nightmare to me that I don't think I could deal with and still keep my sanity.  And the fact that the medical system, the court system, and the welfare system all pretty much FAILED HER in such a spectacularly bad fashion is so disheartening and SO infuriating to me, that I just wanna throw the book across the room, have a good cry, and then never think about the topic again.

Overall though, I guess this was an important book to read, even if it wasn't entirely pleasant the whole time.  It's light reading, I finished it in a few days, and I couldn't wait to start each new chapter to see what would happen next.  I'm madly curious about more details though, such as how much $$ did she settle for, what was the identity of the people who hit her, etc?  See if this were me, I would play the name & shame game in a heartbeat.  Publish the full name of that drunken lazy judge who screwed up her case, as well as the adddress & name of her court/employer.  Then let people harass her into oblivion *lol*  Or at least the author should mention in the book that YES she did file a complaint with the NYC Judicial Board over the judge's gross negligence, to hopefully get the old bag disbarred or disciplined for her unprofessionalism.

Ditto the criminals who ran over her with their car then tried to resort to all sorts of illegal & unethical tricks to duck responsibility.  Shame on them!  Call 'em out by name Hogan, that's why you're an author & blogger!  In terms of retribution, the people who wronged her have NO IDEA what they did was wrong, and what makes me so mad is that Hogan hasn't done a thing to right the wrongs that they did to her!  In other words, they'll keep on doing the exact same things to other people, living their lives in evil blissful ignorance filled with wrongdoing, entitlement-mentality arrogance, and lazy selfishness.  People like that are a toxic drain on society and deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law!  That was one of the things that frustrated me the most about reading some of this book - the injustice of it all.  We'd all like to think that we'd "fight back" in a situation like this, instead of curling up in a little ball and just accepting the beatings that you're being given.  I'd love to read a sequel to this book, written in the style of "Revenge" that one TV show on ABC, where Emily Thorne comes to kick some tail and right the wrongs as only she can *lol*
4432395
I'm having some mixed feelings with this one. I've been waiting so long for it and I was so excited to finally be able to read it. I've been hearing such amazing things. But I didn't like it as much as I liked Shatter Me. It was beautifully written and the storyline was fantastic. I'm not sure why I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. It was still a amazing sequel.

So this one continues Juliette's story. Juliette, Adam, Kenji, and James have arrived at Omega Point with no idea what to expect. Not only do they discover more about themselves but they also get thrown into a war they aren't sure they can win.

Juliette really surprised me. She had a tough time adjusting to Omega Point. And, at times I got a little frustrated with her. I wished she would finally step up and let go of that fragile side. Eventually she did and I loved her even more. I do really like the fragile side because her thoughts are so complex. But with this story that didn't work. She had to toughen up and fast. I loved getting to learn more about her and her power. I kinda missed Adam. He wasn't as huge of a part and I missed him. He was having a harder time with certain things. That really drew him and Juliette apart. I missed their closeness. Okay so I know pretty much everyone became Team Warner. I did enjoy him a lot more because I felt like we really got to know him. But I'm still Team Adam! He's too complex for me. I don't see him as a very good match for Juliette either.

I found this ones storyline vastly different than the first book. It was very exciting. There was all kinds of action and suspense. And, there was tension between characters. This never slowed. It was literally impossible to put down. It was very fast paced. It was pretty hard to predict where the story was going. There was lots of steamy which is always good. I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy this one. I think because I really liked the closeness between characters in the first book. This one had less of that but more action. So I'm pretty conflicted with my feels. Overall though, it was an amazing read. I'm so happy I finally got to read it. Now I'm in the know :). I highly recommend this one. Especially if you like broken and complex characters or a very action filled plot!
3627534
I read this story and feel like a part of it is missing which means I have to get the other one
1043926
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I was really excited to read it because I love Marni Mann, and I really liked Animal and Prisoned. I just had a really hard time getting into it, I didn't really connect with Arin and Huck, like honestly, I hardly cared about their relationship at all until the very end. I really didn't get into the book until like the last 10%, but then it sucked me in and spit me back out. So that's where the confusion is, I barely made it through the first 90% of the book and the last 10% was like a 5 star read.

Anyway I'll be in the corner crying while I wait for the next one, because seriously that ending!
3259008
I am still wrestling with my feelings about this book. I loved the first half. Obviously the premise is disturbing and twisted but Dunn somehow managed to make it feel realistic and natural in context. She is an exceptional writer when she wants to be. The description of the Fabulon and the Binewski silbings' childhood is the highlight because it was wonderfully imaginative and it had heart.

I cannot pinpoint exactly where in the story my feelings about the book changed although it was somewhere after the halfway mark. I know when I realized it though. My boyfriend asked me a question while I was reading and I nearly bit his head off. I apologized and said, "This book is just such so toxic it is putting me in an awful mood."

Bascially the book lost its heart. The author kept piling on one cruel and disgusting event on top of another. It did not feel natural, it did not feel like it had a greater purpose it just felt very pushed. I couldn't shake the feeling that the author was more interested in demonstrating her daring and how far she was willing to go rather than writing a good story. Pushing the envelope can be great if it is done in a thought-provoking and carefully crafted manner. However, it is a fine line and if you go too far too often the shock value is gone, the goodwill is gone and you are just left with a huge pile of garbage. I think the book reached this point and it made me angry because after the first half of the book I had high expectations. Pain is a major theme through the book but any higher point Dunn was trying to make about the nature of pain the second half (if there was one) got lost in the muck.

Towards the end my bad feelings began to soften a bit. I don't know if it is because the author managed to bring back some of what made the first half of the book great or because the second half of the book desensitized me so much that I didn't care what happened to any of the characters any more.

I suppose I would recommend this book to people with strong stomachs only because very few books have caused such a strong reaction and internal struggle in me and that has got to be worth something. Plus I have never read anything like it before and there is definitely value in originality.