Short and sometimes angsty, couldn't put it down!
924417
Val (short for Valentine) and Peter make an unlikely pair...but it works!  An ex-gangster and a judge "find" each other and clumsily get together. It's not your average [gay] romance, but so much better.  They're both very likable and enjoyable and the story was great; I laughed and worried at times, but it all came together well.  My only "problem" was with the long paragraph length sentences, but that was overcome by the fun story.  I was gifted this book in return for an honest review.
914809
I've had my ups and downs with this author's work, and lately it's been more of a down than an up, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel!

I liked the romance between Sadie and Gear. It was definitely different, and had a good deal of humor in it. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well, and wished we could see more of them. There were even a few cameos by characters from her other series, which tied it into her larger "universe". I especially appreciated the Halloween themed setting! However, my chief complaint with this book was that it was too short! Things felt a little rushed because of that, and I really feel that it detracted from the story overall.

I would definitely purchase this and recommend it to others!

***I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.***
3313341
The curiosity brought upon me from reading the title and description had me intrigued. I must say i am very glad i downloaded the book! With a mixture of emotions this book has me coming back for more and more! Highly recommended if you want to read something out of the ordinary
4358704
This was my first read by SL Scott and I can definitely say I look forward to reading more of her work. Savage was something a lot different than I was expecting and I basically went in blind! There were things I loved about this story and things I didn't particularly like.

The development of both the main characters was SPOT ON, and I loved that! I was more than pleased by the development mainly because one of the characters annoyed me for a bit there. To see the maturity level adapt was very refreshing!

I did however find the story to be a bit slow and slightly repetitive in some spots. Without spoiling anything, I did indeed get the feel of the circumstances revolving around the plot of this book, but I feel like it was driven into my mind because of the repetitiveness. That also may have to do why I was slightly annoyed a bit before the characters matured.

But overall the story itself was good! There's a certain technique SL used that I normally hate but in Savage I found myself wanting to read those parts more because I was so intrigued by the character's back story!

In the end I felt their love was strong because of the obstacles they faced throughout their relationship and after what happened at the end, I'm looking forward to seeing how these characters adapt to in the next book!
573931
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the author's posts while this book was in different stages before it was released and was looking forward to reading it.  Told in alternating viewpoints, the premise of the story was captivating.  What if...stories are some of my favourites.  Following along as the sisters try to adjust to their new lives had me turning pages as fast as I could.  Full of angst and drama, I can't wait for book two of the trilogy!
4203525
Absolutely loved this book. Its got a little bit of everything from love,  hope,  suspense and regret!  I couldn't put it down,  a very quick read.
4061790
Title of this review sums it up pretty good. Wish it was longer, and leaves you itching for another Taunt adventure. It read really well and the characters were full of personality. It was sadly too short for me, left me wanting more.
3745999
(reposting from Goodreads)
I received a free copy of this from the author in a giveaway, posting an honest review because I want to! My thoughts? 3-3.5/5 stars. If you love short stories, consider this a 4 star review and not a 3 star. I rounded down to 3 for reasons below -

Vivid Dreams tells of the very first time Kristi has a nightmare come to life, and what events it triggers by happening.

Vivid Dreams is a *very* quick read. About 20 pages. Took me maybe 10 minutes to read last night before sleeping. That time duration is kind of cool for people that want something to read on their lunch breaks. However, that's a double edged sword. For me personally, I want to read things that are longer. Short stories either do not go long enough for me to get invested in the characters or try to cram too much in at once. I did get sucked in and was incredibly curious about Kristi's nightmare from the start of the book. While I would've loved to have even more in this story, it's a short story starting up a mini series, so we'll get more down the road. Despite that fact that it centers on the one nightmare and one nightmare only, I felt like Vivid Dreams fell into the trap of doing too many things at once. There's a romance element to the story, but it feels very Disney - it just comes out of nowhere. Kind of feels like gratuitous sex. That story arc doesn't come in smoothly for me, so it ends up feeling a little bit cheesy.

In terms of the writing itself, besides how you're smacked pretty quickly with the relationship, it's a really good job. My groggy brain caught one error editing missed. The story's engaging, it pulls you in. Starts off with a good bit of drama, which is a *great* tactic to suck a reader in.

So, why my rating? I'd give it 7/10, but since we can only go out of 5, rounding down. 3/5 for me means I liked the book; loved is a 4/5 and 5/5 is OMG AMAZING I WANT TO REREAD RIGHT NOW. If I could give it 3.5/5, it'd be perfect. I deducted a bit because of the feeling that the author tried to accomplish too much in just twenty pages. And, I'm rounding down to 3 instead of 4 simply because I don't really *love* short stories. I'd probably have a higher rating if reading the mini series back to back, because it'd give me that extra info I want on characters and their stories.

I do recommend giving it a try, because it's a refreshing change of pace from all the supernatural creatures as leads/really important characters. It's just a girl (who I bet we'll find out is descended from some group of people with that power; she's written as having parents die, so maybe that's what caused it?) that drew the short end of the stick in mental powers. Go read about her nightmares!
3888799
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book. As a mother, a tiny sliver of myself related to Amy, the frazzled, stressed out, impatient mother of the little girl who goes missing, Emma. I think most mothers will relate to her feelings in a small way when we've felt like we're pushed to our limits.

In Amy's case with little Emma, it is so much more than that. In steps Sarah, a single, childless, highly successful businesswoman who has witnessed more than one "situation" between Amy and her daughter, Emma.

I won't say more about the plot other than I kept reading very curious to find out how the author was going to have it all play out. There were several twists and turns I was surprised at (one didn't seem realistic) and she did a great job of not coming to an easy, predictable ending. She also did a good job of giving us depth to the characters since people are not 100% all good or all bad, so we had a better understanding of what made them behave the way they did.

Unique storyline that I can't wait to see on the big screen!
2787033
What an awesome story! I found it tough to put down and wished it was longer when it was over.  There were real feelings in this story about relationships, guilt, anger, sadness, acceptance, love and commitment.  I'll be watching for this author to continue with future books.
49639
This is a difficult book to rate. The beginning captured my attention straightaway, especially with it being told entirely from the male POV. The characters were well flushed out, interesting, and likable- but something was missing. I never felt a connection to them. I wanted them to find their HEA undoubtedly, but with so many emotions swirling throughout the book, I felt less than the story warranted. The pacing threw me a bit too. There were quite a few times I considered sliding the book to the DNF pile and moving on. I'm so glad I kept reading though because for the last two thirds, things kicked into a new gear. There was angst, heartbreak, hope, etc, and I couldn't stop reading. I did like the way the dialogue was written, it felt honest to each character and flowed well. The banter between friends and relatives worked well to establish believable relationships. I should mention the sex scenes too. Those were definitely steam worthy. The book focuses a lot on them, as you'd expect from a young male POV, so don't read this book if descriptive sex isn't your thing. I'm surprised to say I'm now planning to continue the series. Though it's not jumping to the top of my TBR list, I definitely am interested in reading more about this group of friends.
3954027
I loved loved loved this "short story". It was captivating, thrilling, exciting, intriguing from the very first page until the very last. I loved how Brijit Reed was able to make the atmosphere of the story change the moment you switched between present and past. With Sarah in the present, you mostly get the feeling op hopelessness, but the moment you switch to Scotland (in the past), there's a feeling of dread, of suspense, of fear even. Loved it. The story was over way too soon, this could (dare I say "should") have been a much longer novel. I would have loved to know even more about the developments in 17th Century Scotland. This "short story" feels almost rushed. It's definitely worth reading!
This review was first published on my blog: http://mssbookshelf.blogspot.be/
1902315
I enjoyed this short book. It was thought-provoking, kept me reading straight through and had me hoping for something that I wouldn't normally wish to happen in a book.

Dani is not happy with her life and regrets a past decision so much that she just can't move past it or forgive herself.  She's dating a jerk, her boss is a pig and she just doesn't have a lot to make her happy. I felt bad for her, although I also was irritated with her for staying with her boyfriend who was such a jerk.

She ends up in a car accident and visits Paradise for a few days while recovering from a bad bump on her head.

I did sort of guess what was going on, but that didn't make it less enjoyable for me. I liked the characters (especially Gabe), I liked the story and I really liked the end (which considering what happens in the end is odd for me to like but it works in the story - I was rooting for it to happen).

There were a few things I just didn't quite get, such as the darkness and what happened with the doctor that took her back there to try to find Paradise as well as when Gabe, Megan and Adele had seen her preciously. I would have liked that explained in the end, personally.

Overall rating: 4*
467441
This one felt really short but never the less was really good. The characters were really good and I almost cried when the dog died :( Need to pick up the other in this series STAT!
3907170
Great quick read,  couldn't put it down.  I am  excited to read more about their story and others in the series!
3741716
Great book! So many things tie in together! Multiple emotions in such a  short novel, I want a sequel!
4424474
This story was wonderful.  I could just leave it at that, but I want to say a bit more.  The author is new to me and I didn't know what to expect other than a friend who loved it, recommended it to me.

It was so engaging that I read late into the night and finished it up the next night at 5 in the morning because I couldn't put it down.  It's a book with layers that slough off a bit at a time, and while there were no deep dark secrets, a curiosity results.  The main characters are well developed and appealing and the supporting cast is interesting, as well.  The feelings between the two men developed gradually and there was a sweetness that wasn't cloying but loving.... and the sex was a little more realistic than some I've read.  It eventually has the angst that is needed for a satisfing  ending.

I was left with the feeling that I'd read a well written story that was engrossing and different.  I smiled and teared up and was glad I'd taken my friend's advice.