My review... 3 3/4 stars
344931
I don't usually leave reviews unless I feel strongly about a book. This book was not your usual Christian romance book.  I liked it but I had an extremely hard time connecting with the characters.  I did like Stephen, he saw past outside beauty, but I almost felt like Stephen was too perfect. Too patient. Too forgiving. Yes this is what God calls us to be, but it was almost as if he didn't have the human side to him. Jenny at the beginning seemed a little too whiny for my tastes, ( The I'm not beautiful anymore became a little irritating) but she grew on me as the story went along.  I did adore Phobee though.  She was cute and so brave.  In this book I felt like I was the reader.  Usually when I read I feel like I am a part of the story. I like to be sucked in and forget everything else around me.  It's not a bad book.  It was a sweet romance. But did I somehow miss the Christian message? I like that there were bible quotes, and it wasn't a in your face over the top  preaching.  (It was subtle. Maybe too subtle?) I loved the nickname Stephen gave Jenny.  It was cute without being cheesy.  to sum it up, my recommendation is to give it a try.  This is just my opinion.  Don't let me opinion stop you from reading this book.  Your opinion may differ from mine. Overall all its a cute read.
2590289
...but I'm giving it three stars anyway to keep the ratings in proportion with my other 3-star, overly generous reviews. Now the real story:

"A Secret Word" follows the young adulthood years of three people, only one of whom shows any substance. The other two are country club prima donnas who fancy themselves as would-be tennis stars with all kinds of potential. In fact they are closet alcoholics with cast-iron stomachs, spending (wasting)  Daddy's money while shedding their Arkansas roots and pretending to be sophisticated New Yorkers. Ever washed down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a vodka tonic? It gets worse - imagine traveling to Italy and spending a full week sequestered in a hotel room ordering an assortment of mixed drinks with a bit of food on the side. And no, this isn't a honeymoon (don't even get me started on their relationships with men, ugh); it's just the fluff muffins wasting time, kind of like I did by reading this book. But I can be good-natured about it, since I'm retired and have all the time in the world, and won't wake up with a hangover. The average reader with less free time should find something better.

The best parts of the book are those from the point-of-view of Leigh, the twits' working-class friend. Here is where Ms. Paddock shows some promise as a writer, as I was actually moved by the relationship between Leigh and M/M Carey.

As for the rest of it, I finally got sick and tired of what outfits the other two were wearing, and what color their hair was this week. Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, anyone?
550586
Rating: Chaser
This review and more at www.thebookbar.co

Im feeling a little torn and frustrated writing this review. I wish I could say that I loved it, but I just didn't. I felt like I wanted to love it, but there were things that kept pulling me back from getting there. Every time I felt like I was getting it and was feeling more invested; something would happen that would make me go Wait, what? or What the heck? That seems so inappropriate. There is definitely a good story there, but I kept getting distracted from it. Dont get me wrong, there were aspects that I really liked. I was hooked and didn't want to put it down, but there were parts that flat out turned me off. Without spoiling anything there are some serious topics in this book that I felt weren't handled very realistically. Maybe these responses to certain things won't bother everyone, but they really hit a personal nerve with me. I know thats cryptic, but I don't want to spoil the story.

The other thing that was distracting to me was the multiple typos I found. Im not an editor and am certainly not perfect, but they still drive me a little crazy. I don't usually mention grammatical errors in my reviews because they don't usually take away from my enjoying a book. There were so many that my attention kept being pulled from the story though. I had to reread sentences a few times because it didn't make sense. I think I highlighted 30 or so errors. It wasn't a huge deal or anything, but I thought Id throw that warning out there for any anal-retentive people like me.

Ok, let me tell you about a few things that I liked. The characters, Andi Stone and Luke Woods, were entertaining and had a good connection. The blurb tells you a lot about both of them. They meet at the gym where Andi works. Luke goes there wanting to be trained by Andis boss, and father figure, Mack. Luke is a bit of a douchebag when they first meet, but at least he knows it. They feel an immediate attraction and possessiveness towards each other, but both are unsure if they want to pursue it. Luke is not a relationship type of guy and Andi isn't a one night stand kind of girl. Andi won't let things progress past friendship before Luke is willing to commit to a relationship. There were some funny parts that made me laugh and a few that made me sad.

Andi has had a difficult life. Her parents were killed in a car accident when she was 6. She ended up in foster care because her aunt gave her up after finding out she couldn't get to Andis trust fund. The last foster family she lived with was a nightmare and she ended up being put in a psychiatric hospital after a particularly horrific night. Her foster father is a powerful man and manipulated the situation to make her look crazy.

Overall, it really was just OK for me. There were parts that I really loved, but the parts that I didn't overshadowed them. If I could change 2 or 3 scenes... I could have loved it. That's why I feel torn and sad about rating this a chaser. I, personally, just couldn't get the parts that upset me out of my head.

Quotes:

"Where the hell are the rest of your clothes?" He is literally growling the words at me. I mean, I've read about how men "growl" out a response, but I'm almost positive he's about to turn into some kind of man-beast right in front of me.

The I'm-not-a-relationship-kind-of-guy just found the one person in the world who could make him want to change that.

"We've all done things we regret. What matters is how we heal the ones we've hurt. Some say it should come easy if it's real love but that's just not true. Love is never easy - love hurts sometimes. It causes insecurities and jealousies. Relationships take work - love takes work. And happiness requires forgiving others. I forgive you. Your parents need you to forgive them."
4149802
This is the third book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed book 2. The book picks up where book 2 left off with Liam, Hammer, Raine, Beck and Seth at the lodge and Liam having received a call in the middle of the night from his ex-wife and goes from there. There was a lot happening in this book, from Liam's awful ex-wife to Raine's disgusting father to them trying to solidify their relationship, but I have to say that the story did not flow as well in this one as it did in book 2. I found that the main characters made a lot of silly decisions that were unnecessary, especially after two of the main premises of book 2 were communication and honesty. It was as though those lessons were just thrown by the wayside once the situation with Liam's ex-wife arose. I also have to say that I actually really feel for Hammer, who has to deal not only with Raine and her inability to believe that she is loved, but he also has to deal with Liam and his jealousy issues. I feel like Hammer gets the rough end of the stick a lot of the times in dealing with these two and that he is always trying to smooth and soothe the two of them. I feel like Hammer's issues with having lost his pregnant wife are not really dealt with. However, I must say that I do love the way Hammer deals with the two of them, especially  with the way he deals with Liam's jealousy issues.

Although, book 3 was not what I expected, I cannot wait to read book 4. I truly hope that Liam has dealt with his jealousy issues because the way this one left off makes me nervous about him and those issues. I really hope that I will be getting more on Beck, Seth and nurse Heavenly. Good job, ladies, and I look forward to book 4.
4893506
3-3.5 Stars Good Story

I was graciously gifted an ARC by this new author and I was pleasantly surprised!  I thought the premise of the story was great but where it fell short for me was the overall execution.  I found that the characters also had great potential but again, for me, they themselves fell a tad bit short as well.  I almost felt like the storyline stayed on a monotone level throughout and the characters were one dimensional.  I would have liked more overall "energy" for lack of a better word to add some depth to the characters and the storyline.

Robert, I really loved him, I truly did.  He had a job to do but underneath it all, he was a good man with a big heart.  In his line of work, he cannot get emotionally involved and I understood that but I did love how he battled between his head and his heart.

Emily, hmmmm, I liked her but her character lacked a lot for me.  For someone, who found herself under these particular circumstances, she acted so matter of fact.  I had a really hard time to relate to her and because of that it made my connection to the story a little bit harder where she was concerned.  I needed her character to be more "believable", her character needed a lot of work and for me, I think she was the main reason I couldn't invest fully with the story.

Congrats Author Kate Sands, I think you have a very good future ahead of you.  It doesn't matter how fast you climb the ranks, it's the slow and steady that will get you there and with time and maturity, I see a lot of room for growth.  Just because I may not have been in complete love with this story, doesn't mean that others won't love it.  I am a picky reader and I have my own preferences while reading and they may not be the same as the next but I do wish you the best in the future. I hope to see much more from you in the future, and I will be looking forward it!
2574740
I have mixed feelings about In All Things. Because I admit that I might be the wrong reader for this type of book, I don't want to judge it too harshly. Reviews on Goodreads are all positive, which makes me think that the problem is me. I prefer books with action, clear objectives for the characters, and easily distinguishable themes and elements.

I don't want to discourage anyone from reading In All Things. Therefore, I am going to give this book a B (4 stars), despite being really a 1 or 2 star book in my mind. I didn't like it, but that doesnt mean that someone else wont.

*A more detailed review can be read on my blog Books That Hook
24836
I'll be the first one to say we need more quality Christian dystopian books, and I was excited to see this one! It had some things that personally threw me off, but I suspect that it is just because the author's writing style feels like my own so much that I'm harsher in my judgements. :) There were a few typos, and more places than I liked that felt.... choppy, but it was good. I hope there will be more books, the ending felt a bit incomplete. But again, I think I'm just prejudiced ;)
1705613
I originally thought this was a 3 star read, and I will even say it is really 3.5 because it took me to think over the things I read to decide it was a good story. It didn't really add anything to book 3 and doesn't really make me want to read book 5 though. Truthfully it took to 40% (I checked the mark) to be a book I wanted to read thru the night. I love Eva and Gideon so me not wanting to devour this book should tell you something.

THINGS WE SEE:
1. we get to see into one of Gideon's Dreams
2. we find out some of his family dynamics are NOT what they seem
3. we get to see him hang with his friends, and I really liked that

The angst in this story seemed SO very forced though, they have enough drama without needing to force something
355186
*Received a copy in exchange for an honest review
I don't know about this book...
the beginning for me was hard to understand it seemed to jump around a lot and it was a little confusing for me that you jumped from the Dad's perspective to Vanessa's...

I tried so hard to love this book but I just felt it was lacking something... some parts of the story were good and I did like the way he fell her her head over heals from the start.

It was nice when they meet and he is charmed then she falls into the ocean and get Amnesia and he tells her she's his wife. It was cute at times and a little bit more like a young teen romance than an adult romance. Maybe ages 13-16 would be a good fit for this book...although the faded out sex scenes might be a bit advanced for 13 would fit nicely with 14 year olds.

I do believe that it needs a bit of polish in order to clean up some of the start at least the first six chapters or so because it was jumping around from one perspective to another. The book wasn't awful it had potential but it just needs someone to go back and eliminate some of the jumping around from head to head and the dialogue in some places needs work.

It wasn't a terrible read and what other reviewers where saying is true that the romance part was sweet but not really melt your heart good.

I do think that Michael's thoughts seemed much younger than his age and Vanessa's thoughts were sometimes not expressed well.

but getting back to the plot...
 She finds out after months that he's not her husband and that she was rich they make up and she is preggers. He asks her to marry him and they end up with a HEA

All in all I give it a NSEPE or 3.5 - stars because I found a lot of the enjoyment was lost in that first part because I was confused in several places...
2653384
pretty good.  there are a few songs I don't love.  but overall not bad.  really I want to make the rating 3.5 stars but it won't let me.
1657323
I'm not sure how I feel about this book, but I think I kinda liked it, so I'll give it a 3 stars.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is about Leonard, a teenage guy, who delivers presents to his "friends" on his eighteenth birthday, before he goes to kill his former best friend and then himself.

Leonard is a very strange character. He's pessimistic and sharp, and the way he sees life has made me think a lot, which I believe is the reason why I kept putting this book down. Also, he can be irritating sometimes, and I have to say that I really got annoyed with certain things he said. At first I thought he was being overly dramatic, and I found it hard to relate to his overwhelming feelings. However, I was also curious to know more about him; I wanted to know why he felt the way he felt, and to fully understand why he was so negative about life and his future. And when I finally understood, I truly felt sad for him. I think he is a very complex character. And although I didn't like him at first, as the story progressed he grew on me and won me over.

One thing I really liked about this book was reading about Leonard's inner struggle. He was determined to accomplish his mission, but I kept noticing that he was constantly looking for "excuses" to do otherwise. This fact was what made me think that maybe there is still hope for him.

The side characters were interesting enough, but Herr Silverman was the only one I ended up liking; I wish I had a teacher like him, but I think he's too good to be true.

The ending. Well, I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. <spoiler>I want to know what happens with the characters</spoiler> so I'm disappointed with how the story ended, but at the same time I think the ending was beautiful. So, like I said, I'm very confused.

The audiobook. The narrator did a good enough job narrating the story. I think his voice was a bit harsh, but it suited Leonard's personality well; it didn't bother me so much, and after a few chapters I got used to it. What I didn't like, though, was that I often got confused with the characters because the narrator's voice didn't vary much. Overall, I think it was a decent performance.
1003730
***3 Stars***

  "I love you, you know?"
  "I love you, too."
  "This won't be easy."
  "Probably not, but it'll be worth it."

I liked this, but unfortunately nothing really wowed me.

Cam is part owner of a thriving boating business. He lost his mother when he was young and the circumstances of her passing have left a devastating emotional scar. Cam refuses to get close to anyone for fear of losing them just as quickly and tragically. His fear has kept him from ever having a serious relationship.

Gannon is a successful entrepreneur. He owns a popular gaming business that consumes his whole life. Rejected by his parents and family for being gay, he's devoted his whole life to being successful and making his company the best that it can be. This means there is little time for a social life, let alone a love life.

The two meet, and the attraction cannot be denied. Cam is the more skittish one in this relationship, but Gannon has found someone that has awaken him. Someone that has taken up space in his mind and heart...a place that has been solely occupied by work.

Cam likes that nerdy Gannon has a possessive and aggressive side. He finds himself completely consumed by thoughts of the man. Maybe it's time to finally start thinking about a serious relationship...something he can definitely see happening with Gannon. But what happens when an aspect of Gannon's job brings all of Cam's worst fears to the forefront? Will Cam's fear win? Can they find a way to make this relationship work?

This was a solid read for me. The story was decent and as can be expected with a Nicole Edwards book, the steam was satisfying. She really built it up in the beginning with both guys wanting to take the relationship slow...wanting to feel each other out. And oh boy, there's was some wonderful feeling each other before the main event.

But I think that the blurb and title are a bit misleading. Is Cam reckless like the title and his nickname suggest? Nope, not really. He's an outdoorsy and adventuress person...but he's nowhere near reckless. I feel like NE wanted to go down that route, but just didn't fully commit to it.

Also, the opposite attract aspect felt very weak to me. The only thing really opposite about these two were their appearances. Cam was tattooed and pierced (let me add that those piercings are in all the RIGHT places) whose wardrobe mostly consisted of cargo shorts and flip flops. Gannon had no ink or piercings, wore glasses and his wardrobe was mostly dress shirts and polos. Again, something else that I think the author wanted to highlight but didn't really commit to.

There were a couple of times that the book felt like an information dump for future books and I didn't like the contrived drama with Roan. It felt completely unnecessary. However, I'm unbelievably intrigued by Hudson and Teague! Oh man, there's some serious potential for greatness there! I'm on pins and needles for their book.

The ending was satisfying, if not a bit rushed and I thought the epilogue was sweet. Overall, a decent read and a solid start to a new series.
2509188
3.5* !!!

I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe it's just me..But the guy on the cover just doesn't match my imagination of Sean !! sigh..

That being said here is my review.
Plot : 3.5
Originality : 3
Main Characters : 4
Chemistry between the Leads : 4
Side Characters : 4
Feel/Emotions : 4
Twists : 3.5
Writing Style: 4

Here are my thoughts : The plot is pretty un-original..I have read quite a few rockstar/band books, where they breakup and get back later for their kid (which ofcourse remained a secret all this time). I enjoyed reading the chemistry between Sean and Anna as well as the scenes having Sean and Willow and how their bond progresses.. However, I really don't understand characters who are stupid.. because Sean really is stupid.. I actually preferred Logan's character in this story.. I wish Dean could have twisted the plot a little more.. because at the end.. the problems just resolved automatically..

It was a pleasant read.. but I am not emotionally exhausted as I was when I read Colleen Hoover's "It Ends With Us".. Melissa's cancer scenes were a tad bit emotional.. But otherwise, it was very predictable..
4099836
After seeing all the rave reviews, I was really hoping this book would knock it out of the park for me. Unfortunately, while I did enjoy it overall, it didn't win me over like I expected. The first half of the book was pretty slow and I was honestly bored through most of it. Yes, I liked getting to know Brody and Annie, but nothing much happens in the way of actually moving their story along. I was seriously considering DNFing it. But, I stuck it out and Im glad I did, because the second half was great. There was definitely that one scene that I wasn't happy with, but besides that, I really liked how things played out for the couple. Ive never been a big fan of baseball either, but Cross made it interesting and reading about those games was intense.

Brody was the best part of the book. I have to say that he doesnt seem like your typical nineteen-year-old with the way he acts and the things he says to Annie, but it worked for him. He is very charming, talented, and hot; its hard not to fall for a guy like that. And he has a troubled past that hes trying to make amends for. You cant help but want to hug the guy. I like how patient and understanding he was with Annie, especially during those immature or irrational times. And that ending? So sweet! What I wouldnt give to have had this book in dual POVs.

However, I have to honestly say that I really didn't like Annie at all. She was okay at the beginning, but she ended up being a bit too immature for my taste, especially considering her age, which was 17 going on 18. I just didn't like the way she handled the whole situation regarding her dad and her relationship with Brody. It felt very unrealistic to me, considering teens nowadays and I thought Cross was building her character up to be this girl who would come into her own and be all mature and independent. I guess that kind of happens at the very end, but that one part just before the end messed her up for me overall.

I did, however, like her relationship with her dad. They had a special bond and I liked that they not only respected each other, but genuinely liked each other. I hated her mother and could appreciate her disdain for the whole situation. She handled all of that a lot better than I would have.

As for their relationship as a whole, I genuinely liked it, except for that climactic part involving Annies decision. I liked their slow-building, friends-turned-loves romance, even though it was a bit boring at the beginning. I could tell Cross was making it out to be a deep, meaningful relationship between two people who truly understood and respected each other, which was another reason I couldn't get on board with Annie when things got rough. Aside from that, they were great.

So yes, I liked some parts of this book and Im glad I gave it a chance, but this definitely wasn't a winner for me. It was too much of a mismatch between mature and immature moments by the characters at all the wrong times and things just didn't flow well for me. I also didn't care for how crazy people acted when they found out Annie and Brody were dating. Their age difference was hardly anything to scoff at, but it was made into such a big deal. Granted, Annie is a bit naive for her age so I could see the hesitation, but still. Anyways, Id say YA Contemporary Romance readers should still give this a try and judge themselves, but just don't expect some amazing romance. Its a decent teen romance with some realistic intimate moments and a lot of baseball-related scenes thrown in for good measure. If that sounds up your alley, then by all means!
1670324
I enjoyed reading this book, but I'm not quite sure that it lives up to all of the hype it keeps getting. The story is well written, and keeps readers guessing right up to the last few chapters, but I can't help but feel slightly underwhelmed with the ending. Is as though you wait to have this sense of "OMG I didn't see that coming! What a great plot twist!", but instead it was more of a "Oh that's where they decided to go with this.  . . Ok then". I still give this book 4 stars, because it was an enjoyable read, but don't expect it to rock your world.
1659148
Kris Bryant's new romance, Jolt (Bold Strokes Books), is a pretty solid novel.  It follows the romance formula nicely, offers a good story, and provides us with some interesting characters. But, I think that it could have been more effectively executed.

Jolt is a "girl meets girl, girl gets girl, girl loses girl, girl gets girl back" story.  We expect and get the burgeoning romance, the conflict/obstacles, and the eventual payoff.  Quite appropriate for a romance.  This formula is used to tell a good story, as well - the unyielding attraction these two women have for each other, the slow "getting to know you" process, the struggle to blend two very different lives.  It's certainly compelling - I kept looking forward to what would happen next.

Bethany and Ali are women who each have their own painful histories and are each carrying around some hefty baggage.  What I really liked is that each had a very distinctive voice throughout the story.  Their speech patterns, the way they would turn a phrase...these were unique to each of the characters.  The same holds true for the secondary characters.  They are clearly defined.  I wanted a bit more about their back stories, though.  We're told what happened to make Bethany become such a recluse and averse to "getting out there" and dating again, but I don't feel like there was enough to get past the superficial level.  Based on what we're provided, I didn't feel like Bethany's reactions were more than melodrama.  Now, I know that sounds harsh and I don't intend it that way.  What it means is that I wanted to know more - not just what happened, but more about the fallout.  With that additional information, I think Bethany's growth as a character would be more intriguing.

I was, however, a bit disappointed in the execution of the telling at times.  Much of this may be my own, personal bias, but I think there's also validity to it.  The story is told from the first-person point of view, which is fine.  But it's also told in present tense, which, for me, is a bit awkward.  Again, this is probably just my own preference.  Additionally, I believe more attention could have been paid to word/phrase choices throughout the novel.  Dialogue tags were limited mainly to "I say" and "she says."  I lost track of the number of times the word "jolt" was used in the first few chapters.  I think there definitely could have been more variety.  Similarly, there are other areas that either needed variety in word choice or to simply be edited out all-together.  I definitely understand the need to sometimes remind the reader of certain moments or thoughts throughout a novel.  However, in Jolt there were a number of instances of a chapter ending with one of those moments or thoughts and then being repeated at the beginning of the very next chapter.  In some cases, it seemed as though sentences were copied from one chapter and pasted directly into the next.  I don't know if this was intentional or it was missed in editing/proofreading.  But it definitely stood out for me.

Overall, this is not a bad book.  It's a good story with interesting characters.  I don't not recommend the book.  If you like romance novels with some passionate sex scenes, then you'll enjoy this. If you're like me, just be prepared to get past some of the technical aspects.
317730
I volunteered to receive and review a copy from Xpresso Book Tours.

This review was originally posted on my blog at kourtnireads.wordpress.com.

Im writing this review a day after Ive finished the book and Im still not totally sure what to think of it. There were good things and not-so-good things.

First off, the blurb had me expecting a story that would focus really on Lanas mothers death but I didn't really feel like this didn't take center-stage until over halfway through the book. The first half felt like a romance  it focuses almost solely on Lanas budding relationship with Caleb and her rivalry with the schools it-girl, Cressida. There are a few moments that talk about Lanas mom, but it really didn't feel like that was going to be the main focus of the story.

That brings me to another thing I didn't really like. The relationship between Lana and Caleb didn't feel real to me. The two meet at a party and then are immediately talking about how happy they are they met and Calebs family is offering to pay for her to go on vacation to Hawaii with them. It just felt like it moved really quickly and although it wasn't quite insta-love to me, it didn't seem to be a reasonable pace. The only redeeming thing about it was that Lana does acknowledge that its moving quickly and that she doesnt really know anything about him.

The book in general seemed a little messy. All the different things that happen didn't seem to really fit together, even after it was all explained. I still don't really understand how Lanas mom fit into everything that was happening in the book. Im hoping that book 2 will help clear a lot of this up.

My last complaint is that there were some truly bizarre descriptions that sometimes were even borderline offensive. For example, theres one sentence that really threw me: She arched an anorexic brow. I think the author was trying to show us that the character had thin eyebrows but I honestly have no clue. I genuinely don't know what that can even mean. And just in general, using anorexic as an adjective is a big no-no (at least for me).

The reason why I still gave the book 3 stars was because of the ending. The last fourth or fifth of the book was really great. It was action-packed and really suspenseful. Once I hit a certain point, I couldn't put the book down. If the whole book had been like this, I would have loved it. Im hoping we see more of that action and suspense in the next book.

All in all, its not a bad read but its far from perfect. I think I will probably pick up book 2 when it comes out so I can see whats next for Lana.