Captivating and pleasantly surprised
347602
I had doubts, but this book kept me involved. Very well put together and not predictable like many books I have read in th  past. Cannot wait for the release of the second book!
1424309
I got this book as a gift and wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised! The characters were so interesting and immediately drew me in. I found myself eager to read more and was so intrigued to really see what they were thinking. Of course I found myself wanting to yell at Kadee to leave Noah, but also could understand her rationalizations. Great character development and twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end.
1632712
What a captivating story and it did have some minor similarities to the Hunger Games series and also Virtual Arcana books whereby the main character immerses themselves in a game and the outcome is not what you expect. There were a few lessons to be learned in this story and that beauty is only skin deep and it did lag a bit in the middle but it picked up towards the end. Ella was not your typical pretty cheerleader type or kick ass heroine and she seemed very real and likable with all her faults and her disability did not deter her from her chosen path. Some twists were unexpected which I found refreshing as I tend to read a lot so this book was a nice surprise. I was a bit confused towards the end much like the main character concerning who her love interest really was but I am sure that was just to keep us guessing. Hopefully the next book will clear up that and many other secrets that have still not been revealed.
4515035
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book; science fiction/fantasy is not a genre I typically read.  It requires a level of suspended belief I am not usually able to attain, but in this case I was able to go with it.  The sex scenes are well written and plentiful, and there is a good supporting story.  Although the element of suspense could have developed a bit more, I still found it an entertaining read and would recommend it to both existing fans of the genre and those willing to give something new a try.
1863840
I was pleasantly surprised with this book.  It is not something that I had come across before or something I probably would have chosen on my own to read, but I was missing out!  It was refreshing to read a book that had little to no errors that were blatantly obvious as so many other novels I've read lately have.  The plot was twisted and involved many people, but the author did a fantastic job of telling each person's story in a way that was clear and concise and left little to be confused about.
The story itself was thrilling and suspenseful.  I felt compassion for the main characters Whip and Yaz, they had many struggles in the book and in their lives.  The story seemed to be one that could really happen in today's world so that drew me in quite a bit as well, although it made me sad to think about the corrupt ways in which some people choose to live.  I would recommend this book to others, and am interested to see what else this author has to offer that I may not have seen before.
137735
What a pleasant surprise! Thought I'd spend some time reading about one of my favorite places, but then felt compelled to read it all in one sitting! Interesting characters, believable relationships. I love that the author avoids the usual resolve and leads us down some unexpected paths. I want to read more. Looking forward to the sequel and hoping "Mother" returns!
4444210
This is not the type of book that I usually read, but it sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I truly and completely enjoyed the entire book. I am going to buy the second book in this series and I am sure it will be only the beginning.
3669350
I wasn't sure how much I would like this when I initially started this. That said, once I got a few chapters in, I was completely hooked. It's somewhat easy to predict what was going to happen in the long run, but definitely not everything in between. I love when I can be pleasantly surprised even with things being somewhat predictable in nature.

Macallan is a pretty quiet girl who has some issues dealing with certain things since her mother passed. She is snarky and yet very caring. She befriends Levi when he moves into town and they quickly become besties. She truly opens up to him and is very believable in the scenarios they get into.

Many of the characters were believable. Levi responded in ways I expect guys to in the situations he gets put into- 'bros before hos' and all that. The supporting cast-Levi and Macallan's friends-are pretty basic, but still react in realistic ways. It didn't seem fake or forced which is always nice and welcome.

Overall I really enjoyed this. I thought the little conversation blurbs at the end of each chapter were awesome. It certainly added to the character development and wasn't really something I've seen in young adult novels before. As this is the first book I've read by this author, I'm definitely looking forward to getting my hands on more by her!
3067125
At times, I thought I'd give this book five stars. It truly captivated my imagination through setting and mystique.

Although I was able to predict the truths and events that surprised the narrator, I was never inclined to stop reading.

Portions of the book stuttered a bit, with needless repetition.  Most of the book was written in a lovely prose.

I liked that the cover represented with total accuracy an event from the book, and I was enamoured with Ellie and Grayson.

Anything more would spoil the pleasure for future readers.
3257891
I am not a SciFi or fantasy fan, yet I thought I would give this a read. WOW...I am impressed.  The story is captivating, energized and ever twisting, and I am enjoying this book. You should too!
969976
I got this for free on Amazon in exchange for an honest review and frankly I didn't know what to expect.

I skimmed thru the other ratings and found mixed reactions so I just started reading and it got me hooked. The advantage of going into this blindly is there were no expectations.

I was intrigued by the concept of slavery in the contemporary setting. I thought this was set in the era where slavery was rampant but my questions were soon answered after a few sentences in the beginning of the chapter. The technology was too advanced when it came to slaves and they're not considered humans. They even have a user's manual and an embedded chip with tracking device.

The story is quite simple and I loved it. I was caught up in their "forbidden love" and I appreciated the conflict presented by the author. It kept me going, wondering how they'll eventually end up together and the novel was aptly titled. I guess it doesn't only apply to Kayden in the literal sense, but also to Savannah in the figurative sense.

In a nutshell, this was an engaging read with a little suspense thrown in (they had clandestine trysts) with passionate lovemaking and the time frame didn't matter at all. It's clear as day both of them need and love each other. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
4402822
I enjoyed the characters and the story, I was pleasantly surprised.
4557374
This was surprisingly good.  I was a little skeptical because of the title and the cover, but this story had interesting characters and interesting plot twists.  I was caught up in the story and did not know where it was going.  The book was fun, inciteful, and touching.  I would highly recommend it even if women's fiction is not one's usual choice for reading.
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.
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.
4370840
I read this as a free kindle download and so wasn't expecting a great read, so I was pleasantly surprised by this book when I found that I didn't want to put it down.
1726165
This book captivated me with the first set of small, image laden vignettes and only got better.  Not only is the plot intriguing, the language used is so rich and fertile that I felt I could taste it.  Each scene has an undercurrent of mingled sensuality and religion running through it and the reader becomes aware of how the two seemingly dichotomous aspects of life are highly dependent on each other.  This book left me with heightened senses; it left me wanting more.  I recommend reading it slowly and focusing on what's implied, not just what's being said.