I didn't expect to love it so much...I was pleasantly surprised!
353684
I loved this book!  As someone who does not normally read books in this genre, I found myself captivated by the rich tapestry of characters and landscapes. The twists and turns in the story will keep you mesmerized and wanting for more.  I always know I'm reading a wonderful book when I start mourning the loss of the characters in my life.  I was sad for the story to end and was left wanting to know what happens next. Dulcy is an amazing feminist lead character who is a woman ahead of her time. She is someone you will want to know better and want to read more about. This is a great read!
3735840
I had the feeling I'd love this book from the second I heard about it (YA set in a cult? yes please, sign me up!) but I didn't know just how MUCH I'd love it. THE FAMILY was absolutely nothing like I expected. To be honest, I don't know what I was expecting. Something with a little more action, maybe? Something closer to a thriller, or a dystopian? This book wasn't either of those things. And that's 100% okay. In fact, I'm GLAD this book wasn't either of those things, because then it wouldn't be the haunting, beautiful little book that I haven't been able to stop thinking about.

I don't want to say too much, because I'm afraid of giving away the things that made this such a remarkable read. But know that this is a book you need to read.
2018931
I didn't think I would like this series, but have been pleasantly surprised.
1409189
This book draws you in from the first chapter.

I had put off reading this book, and then got an email reminder that my review was almost due. So I opened it up Sunday afternoon and was immediately swept into the story. I really didn't expect to love it, yes I said LOVE IT as much as I did! I read half of the book Sunday night, and the rest on Monday!

And I will say, for a book dealing with heavy topics, Race and Racism in the 1960's, the divide between rich and poor, this book was surprisingly funny. Now just to be clear, they don't joke about those topics, those topics are met with much respect and not taken lightly. But the characters do have some funny moments and funny thoughts in their heads throughout the book. I was actually laughing out loud at several parts, which again, given the subject matter, not something you expect to be doing.

This book was just beautiful. It spoke of the love, affection and friendship between Isaac and Pete and his family, and then it followed Pete through the rest of his childhood and adolescence, where Isaac's influence was clear in Pete's behaviour. It was just beautiful! I will admit several parts made me want to cry. The ending had resolution, but of course it wasn't the resolution that I wanted!

I can't wait to read more of this author's books!

Thanks to Revell for giving me a copy for free in exchange for my honest opinion!
1513635
After hearing that some people LOVED this book and others were more "Meh. I don't see what all the fuss is about," I really wasn't sure what to expect. Well guess what? I LOVED IT! I really enjoyed the poetic style with which the story is written, and the plot and romance kept my heart racing. I'd love to see where the second book takes the story.
2947916
I did not think I was going to like it, but I love it.  Very happy I decided to get it.
869791
Wow. I was definitely pleasantly surprised by this book!

First of all, it's the first book I've read by Ms. Halle and I'm tipping my imaginary hat because it was awesome!

Second, the reviews were so-so but, because there were times when I disagreed with them, I wanted to give it a try.

And third, I was in such a major funk from a series I've read at the end of the previous year, that every book after that was just 'okay'. Some of them I couldn't even finish, no matter how good the writing. Had a bone to pick with the heroes, to tell you the truth.

So, I simply decided on this one, it's not a genre I often read - horror/zombies - so, what the he*k. I was immediately pulled into the story, it flowed without any bumps or whatnot and it did the job. It got me out of my funk! Though I'm afraid it may have given me a new one. I'm looking at you, Jake McGraw.

So, the story is set way back when. Now, I'm all for feminism, women being equals, strong heroines with a backbone etc. Rah-rah. But you have to think about those times. Yes, I'm sure there were 'rebels' back then, women that did not do what society dictated of them and thus, were shunned by everyone. Those times are very different from the ones we're living in now. But even considering those times, I do not find Eve to be a weak woman. She simply knew what battles to pick and when to fight them. As she herself said, she was no lady. She was a half-Native American girl, whose dad simply disappeared into thin air and whose mom shut down after the love of her life disappeared. On the contrary, I find her to be a very smart gal with a big heart.

I loved the back-and-forth between her and Jake.

Now Jake. Man, he's one sexy man, former Texas Ranger. He was mean at the beginning. He had a bone to pick with the Native Americans. But he gradually warms up to Eve and oh, the surly and grumpy man is actually a very funny guy.

So yeah, read it. Give it a try. I did and I'm definitely going to reread it.

5 stars. No buts about it.

P.S. Jake McGraw definitely made it onto my 2015 BFF list.
4545626
I like to scroll through the top 100 free books a lot, and that's where I found this one, so I didn't have high expectations. This one surprised me! Wasn't "The Best Book of 2013", but definitely one of the better ones I've downloaded lately. If you like the genre, I'd pick it up if I were you!
2957535
Wow, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this was not at all what I was expecting!

I was surprised at just how good this book was as I was not expecting such a complex and in depth story with an equally complex and in depth cast of characters.

The book covers several emotive subjects at the same time...some quite disturbing...yet it never gets lost or bogged down in the way it is able to blend these events into the overall story.
The author does this by skillfully ascribing and blending emotional backstories to each of the key characters, so that the reader becomes invested in the outcome of each individual as well as the overall story...thus making this a fascinating as well as compelling read.

It is a hard book to review without alluding to facts which would be considered spoilers, so rather than risk that, my advice would be to read the blurb and then dive right in as I did.
*Be aware though that the book does involve some quite confronting issues, having said that, I think it covers them in a most realistic light.

If I have one issue with this book it is the cover, I don't believe it does anything to sell this book for what it is, and possibly gives a misleading first impression.

"Confronting, amusing and compelling, this is a story about choices and how they shape who we become."

5s
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.
1781413
Let me preface this by saying I'm an EXTREMELY picky reader. There are only a handful of authors I genuinely love (such as Stephen King and George RR Martin). I read a lot but most books I'm really just "meh" about. I bought this on a whim since it was cheap and I was out of books to read. I honestly wasn't expecting much but the description sounded like something I'd be interested in so I decided to give it a try.

I was completely surprised at how much I really loved this book. I really connected with the characters and felt genuine sorrow for them and their plights. There is a lot more to this book than the Amazon description lets on. This is a book I wouldn't have minded paying full price for and I rarely read books twice, but I definitely see myself giving this one another read in the future. My only disappointment is the author seems to have only one other book. I hope to see more from him soon!
4150636
Well that was a surprise. A pleasant one, but still a surprise.

Why you ask?

Because I didn't expect to become so immersed in the story. I had a good inkling that I'd enjoy it, since I've enjoyed other books by the author and my interest was definitely peaked due to the promise of a true mnage happening. But I didn't expect that upon starting the book that I'd become so invested in the the journey the characters travel that I'd have to force myself to put the Kindle down because my lunch break was over.

I really liked Mikey, Krissy and Rafe and the chemistry between them from the start.  They all had such distinct personalities that ended up melding well together once they got a little more comfortable together. But what held my interest the most was how each of them was at a crossroads in their lives. None of them were truly settled into who they are supposed to be, whether it be because they questioned their sexuality and how it would impact their lives, what they wanted for their future and how they wanted to live it, or simply fighting to be who they wanted to be while walking that fine line of being who others thought they should be so they wouldnt rock the boat. All of these are generally the same, but each of them had a different path and it was really interesting to be apart of it as they each dealt with what deviance meant to them and the impact theyd allow it to have.

Things progress quickly with their relationship and though it is, it didn't necessarily feel like it. With the knowledge that Krissy and Mikey had kept in almost constant contact with each other since meeting at her sisters wedding and had spoken about almost everything it gave it a believability that things could escalate as fast as it did. I thought it was sweet, sexy and I liked how they all ended up finding a connection with each other outside of the physical attraction they felt for each other.

The writing was engaging and I liked the pacing of the story. I loved seeing things through Mikey and Krissys eyes, but do wish wed gotten a bit of Rafes POV tossed into the mix since he was pivotal in moving the story along. I also liked how the issue of religion and belief was handled in the story. It never felt preachy, it was more contemplative where a character was reexamining what God and religion meant to him and how he could still maintain a relation with them while following his heart.

~ ARC received from RockStar PR LC in exchange for an honest review ~
4637559
I read all sorts of reviews before buying this book and noticed that most of them here were only so-so and that there were a lot of frustrations. I was thinking that at least I knew it wasn't that good so that I wouldn't be let down. Well, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

(Spoilers may be included - nothing specific, just general details, no outcomes, etc...). A lot of people thought that Luce was annoying and reckless throughout the book and that the fights with Daniel were tiresome. To me, her behavior and the fights made them more human. At least she has a brain and will to see things for herself (unlike the girls in other books in these types of series...). Who is just going to accept blindly that they should stay still and not do anything at all? Also, why wouldn't you question and be annoyed when your boyfriend wouldn't tell you anything you needed or wanted to know? It is unfortunate that a new triangle is made with Miles, but I found I didn't mind at all and that it just kind of fit. It's reasonable for a 17 year old girl to be wondering about other possibilities if ya ask me...

Anyway, I really enjoyed the book and I am very excited for Passion to come in next summer. It's going to be tough to wait!
3353996
I have to say, I didn't expect much from this title and premise, but I took a chance anyway and turns out it was a really good book!  The plot is a little ridiculous, but the characters are very lovable and I loved getting both perspectives.  You pretty much have to get the second one, "Second Chance Boyfriend".  Good read!
268181
I thought it was going to be kind of "hoakey" at first but was pleasantly surprised!
2899569
Attachments was such an amazing surprise, and I adored it! I'll admit.. when I first read the synopsis, my thought was, "That sounds... weird... and a bit creepy." I wasn't going to read it. Then I read Fangirl (which I didn't even love) and when I finished it I bought Attachments straight through my Kindle app on my phone right then and there on a total whim. Afterwards I was even kind of like, "Why did I just do that?" But it happened, and then I read the book.

I guess I'll start by saying that I could totally relate to Attachments in so many unexpected ways. First, I related to the romance because I met my boyfriend online. In Attachments Lincoln falls in love with Beth before he even meets her, just by reading her emails. Well I fell in love with my boyfriend before I even met him in person. We just spoke online and I completely fell for his personality through there. So although the situations aren't identical, there are some serious overlaps and it was awesome. I got it. I completely understood why you could fall for someone based on personality alone, without spending a real second with them.

But on top of that, I even found myself relating to Lincoln as a person, which surprised me a bit because he's a guy and I don't usually connect to male characters that well. But I really saw myself in Lincoln. He's in his late 20s but he's kind of struggling with where he fits in in life. He doesn't know what he wants as a career, he's worried that he's just a zombie walking through life but not really living it, he's a bit awkward, and he's living at home with his mom. Now I'm not really any of those things, but I still really felt like I could see myself in Lincoln. I think it's largely the job thing. Lately I have been thinking, "What do I want to do with my life?" so when Lincoln had those thoughts, I totally understood them.

I almost feel bad for this, but I really enjoyed watching Lincoln dig himself into a deeper and deeper hole with Beth. Once he started reading her emails for more than just his job, he crossed a line. After that point, how could he possibly meet her for real without telling her that? But how could he tell her that without freaking her out? And he just kept digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself. It was kind of sad and entertaining at the same time. I just wanted to hug Lincoln because he was such a nice guy and I just wanted everything to work out for him!

And then there's Jennifer and Beth. I loved them both! Their back and forth emails were so much fun to read!! They were sarcastic, hilarious, pathetic, sad, happy... all of it! Their stories felt so genuine--like they were straight out of someone's real life. They made reading this book so quick and easy, because I just wanted more of their hilarious commentary and daily life worries.

Above all, Attachments just made me so happy. It made me love reading again (not enjoying the last few books I've started put me in a bit of a slump), and it just made me feel like everything in life will work out. This book left me in such a great mood and my whole experience reading it was just overwhelmingly positive. I always had a smile on my face or was laughing out loud. This might even be one of my new all time favourites!
4517286
Pleasantly surprised because I didn't expect to enjoy the material so much.
I've found myself playing it over and over.
774185
When my book club chose this book I was not expecting to like it. I thought it would be silly. But I was more than pleasantly surprised; I was blown away. It is unique, well-written and captivating. I highly recommend it.