really wanted to love but....
591175
I really wanted to love this, but every handful I get a bad taste in my mouth...not sure if its a bad chia seed or what?! The price is awesome, the packaging is good, but I wish i could say the quality was better- maybe i got a bad bag?
2052197
As much as I tried to really love this book, I just couldn't.  It started out great; the steady flow and the wonderful buildup had all of my attention.  I loved the characters and their quirks, but I also loved how they felt real to me.  But somewhere in the middle to end of the book, the story lost its luster (for me).  This book was layered with so many different emotions, and this was something that drew me to the characters.  They were strong and bold.  However, as mentioned before, something just didn't sit right with me.

Quinn was a pretty complex character, as is Malcolm.  She has PTSD, and struggles with what is in front of her.  She has been dealt a crap hand in life, and has yet to recover.  She succumbed to the numbness and is trying to claw her way out of that.  We see many sides that are Quinn; gentle, sad, lonely, frightened, lovable, friendly, but also skittish.  She has built a wall around her heart and life, so nobody can penetrate the hurt she has endured.  She doesn't want to pass that along.  She has a lot of self loathing.  As the story builds, we see her start to peck away at her wall.  Little by little she shines again.  And then Malcolm comes into her life.  And well, that sort of pushes her to remove those bricks around her heart.

Malcolm was a bit of a mischievous and surprising character. But I think that is why I liked Malcolm so much.  He is flawed and wasn't afraid to admit to it.  He had many demons; ones that were similar to the demons Quinn had.  I think this is why they connected so well.  They understood one another.  They had similar thoughts and feelings.  I loved that they were two lost souls dealing with heavy topics, in their short span of their lives.

 I was quite intrigued that addiction was brought into this story.  In today's world, that is all you hear or read about.  Or at least know someone who is an addict or a recovering addict.  Unfortunately, as the story grew to be something bigger, with the love aspect of the story, the actual addiction aspect got lost in the mix.  Now, don't get me wrong, I see why it did.  But I wish that it wasn't something that was easily swept under the rug.  Addiction is an in your face problem, and not something to easily forget about.

This book was like tug of war for me.  I absolutely loved the first half of this book, but as the book started winding down, I started to dislike the pace and how it ended.  I can say that I get why it ended the way it did, but wished there was more.  Overall, this was a cute story with wonderful characters.  I rate this book 3.5 Stars.
274913
Let me start by saying that even though I didn't completely enjoy this book, I really feel like it had potential to be a fabulous story.

The story line itself could have been amazing.  You've got two characters who are obviously emotionally damaged, but don't want to let the other person in on their past.

My complaint is that I never connected with the two characters.  I don't feel like the story ever went in depth to allow any sort of connection at all. I may have loved them just a little bit more if I was able to feel how they were feeling.

My second complaint is the language.  I'm not sure that anyone in their right mind says "I am going to cum". The entire story was just a little to formal for my taste.

The ending is one hell of a cliff hanger and even though I finished this book because I owed it to the author, I will most likely find myself reading the second book to see what happens.
4328902
i really wanted to love this book! i just had a real hard time getting into it at first. was really slow starting. it took til the middle to get really exciting. she has issues with  herself and he still has drug issues. can they work things out? read to find out what happens.
1565557
This series of Heidi's is a tricky one for me. I really want to love each book, but I always have some stumbling blocks that make me pull back on my ratings.

I was pretty much dying for this book before it came out. I mean, BAZ AND ELIJAH!! So much angst, so much sexual tension, so much POTENTIAL! My rich, dreamy, cool guy gets it on with my angst-ball kinky sex snark-monster... le sigh. But while parts of this book were pretty awesome, I also didn't enjoy other parts of it.

I'll start with some good stuff. Baz and Elijah don't skimp on the personality or the emotions. I mean, the FEELZ in this one... just off the charts. I really got a sense of Elijah's feeling of loneliness (hence the title, duh), guilt, and anguish from all that he's been through. I liked the fact that he was skittish and afraid, especially around Baz. Baz was also great as the reformed player struggling to find his place and path, and also trying to come back from some pretty serious physical and psychological injuries. Really interesting, well thought-out stuff here.

So what's my beef? Well, for one thing, I found this book to be overly long and somewhat preachy-feeling. The preachiness is something that I've come to expect with this series. A lot of heavy-handedness with the messages of openmindedness, which is a great message, to be sure (!), but it gets a little after-school-special after a while. As far as pacing, the story really dragged towards the end for me, and I struggled a bit to pick it up again. This book took me DAYS to read, which isn't ever a great sign.

Also, there were too many side characters for my liking. I like a lot of focus on my MCs and this book felt spread too thin. The side characters get a ton of playtime, and while I like visiting with characters from previous books of Heidi's, I really want to get to know the two MCs more and I sort of want to ditch the distractions.

While this book was good, and I'm sure it will please most Heidi fans, it wasn't the Elijah-Baz explosion of awesome that I was looking for.

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
3140229
I really wanted to love this story.  I'm such a fan of mythological stories that I picked this up thinking it was going to really grab me, and in some ways it did.  However, I had a few problems with the story that just kept me from fully enjoying it and becoming invested in the characters and storyline.

First of all, nothing was ever really explained.  I know how she and the others got powers, but not where the catalyst of those powers came from.  Where did the original Olympians come from?  Why would Zoe get pulled into the past?  The plot devices were used without much explanation to make the reader understand.  The story explained that there was a certain thing that gave them their powers, but not where that came from, or why it was those particular people, or where they started out, etc...

Although I liked Zoe and Zeus, their connection together was of the insta-love variety, and this really kept me from enjoying their romance.  They met, they were suddenly in love, etc... and so I never felt like I could get into the romance because it was just there.  I felt like I'd stepped into their romance right in the middle, rather than getting to watch it develop.

Then there were the other characters.  Everyone was a bit stereotypical, especially Hera.  You knew she was going to be a bitch, and she was.  No surprise there.  She behaved predictably.  There were really no surprises at all.

My favorite part of the story was when Zoe was undergoing her tests.  That was interesting and kind of exciting.  Otherwise, this story just fell flat for me.
4940943
*** ARC kindly provided by the publisher Montlake Romance, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ***

I really did love the writing style from this author. She writes beautiful and descriptive. But unfortunately the story didn't really work for me. It was a lovely story, it started out wonderful but that was just it. I would have loved some more drama with Calebs crazy ex or some suspense around Brookes past. Just something more. I guess the problem also was the insta-love. It just doesnt work for me. At times it was also too cheesy for me. I did love Caleb though. He was very caring and patient.

BUT as I said in the beginning I really do love the writing style so Ill definitely try another book by this author. The next book in this series is about James and Winter and Im curious about their story so I might read it...
2826738
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book.  There were parts I loved, and parts I thought were rather ridiculous... and by the end, I admit that I found myself skimming the last 10% or so of the book.  The wind down to the HEA was REALLY drawn out, as if the author just wasn't ready to let go of the characters yet.  Everything in that last 10% could have easily fit into an epilogue and would have been perfect.

Let's start with what I loved...
I loved Morgan.  Her character was relatable and funny and I loved her strength and determination, and she had a vulnerable side that she was reluctant to show until she felt comfortable enough with Sean.  I felt her rage when she'd been wronged, and I sympathized with her for her financial struggles and thought that her reluctance to open up to Sean at the beginning seemed real and believable.

I also loved that this book had more depth than just a typical celebrity + small town girl romance.  Morgan's issues (both internal and external) were believable and intriguing and kept me reading.

Now... ridiculousness...
Sean falls in love with Morgan after day, what? 10??  I'm sorry but I just could not buy into the idea that this guy confesses his love to Morgan after barely speaking with her on the phone for a month.  I could find it more believable if he were maybe a teenager or something... but 31?  I just found this to be really naieve and strangely immature of him, considering he's supposed to have such a "deep history" with women.  On one hand he talked a great deal about how everyone always wants to take advantage of him for his money and fame and is therefore very reluctant to trust people, but he seems to be convinced Morgan is 100% trustworthy after a couple of silly text messages and a background check... really??  The book focuses more on her getting his FRIENDS to trust her rather than Sean himself.

Also, the whole celebrity angle was sort of baffling to me.  In a celebrity romance, one would expect major conflicting elements of the book to be those that go hand in hand with the genre... (paparazzi, tabloids, rumors, lack of privacy, etc...)  However, while this book does have SOME of that, it doesn't pay a whole lot of attention too it.  This conflict takes a back seat and pales in comparison to Morgan's personal struggles with things like her ex boyfriend and Sean's money.  I thought it was strange that she so easily accepted the baggage that comes with dating a celebrity without batting an eyelash.  It didn't seem realistic to me.

In fact, so LITTLE attention and conflict arose from these elements that if Sean hadn't been a celebrity, but just some rich guy... the story wouldn't have to be modified much and still make perfect sense.

In conclusion, it was a cute story, but be prepared to suspend your disbelief.  Good for people who enjoy a "fairy tale" romance and love at first "text" :p
191632
I wanted to love this book. I really did. But about halfway through, I just lost steam. I always finish my books though and Grayland is no different.

Marina Magaa lost her sister to suicide. She's trying to cope in the world after finding out this heart wrenching news. She randomly finds a "magical" necklace that allows her to talk to her sister and see a "Gray Man" when she's asleep. Her sister tells her this man can give her 3 wishes, but to be careful how she words those wishes; the Gray Man doesn't do do-overs.

So, Marina smokes. A lot. Seriously, every chapter talks about her smoking at least a few times ("So I went and smoked." "So I went outside and smoked" "I grabbed my cigarettes and took a walk and smoked"). It seems like there's quite a bit of filler in the book as well; things that are inferred and don't need to be said; describing a whole restaurant/bar ordering session; side stories that add nothing to the book (going to the beach house with her sister and cousin, the cousin talks about a story with a coworker and the dynamics of her job and how it's related to getting the beach house for a night).

The author does a good job with relating the hopelessness of depression. Marina's brain is constantly fluttering from one thought to the next, and almost every thought is covered with the incessant stickiness of loss, weariness and confusion. This could be a great book, a wonderful story. It needs some editing to make it truly stand among the greats, though. Like I said, I wanted to love this book. The ideas in it are unique and the author has talent. The fire is missing, the hook that drags readers in and doesn't let them go isn't set.

For those that enjoy reading stories that are gritty but uplifting and have a touch of fantasy, this may be the story for you. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
2507952
My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

***Slightly spoilerish***

 I wanted to love this book, like really REALLY love this book. Dante was a stand out for me in book 1 of the Guardian Archives series and I couldn't wait to see how his story would unfold. Unfortunately, his appeal didn't carry over.

 The intro was stunning. Loved every single word of it. It wasn't Dante though, it featured the prince and his queen and it was perfection. I settled in and couldn't wait to dive further. Then there was reference where Dante viewed another particular character as a 'little sister'. Gut. Punched. Even having finished this installment, I still say a HUGE opportunity was blown here.

 Having said that, it wasn't the cause for my chosen rating. Firstly, I didn't like Dante. For me, his appeal was all but gone at the word go and it never really recovered. His constant gushing was annoying and so syrupy sweet that I needed him to just stop talking. He fell to the background and took Gio with him. I didn't care for her either. Then there was Maddox, who was basically a cartoon. Granted, it's hard to invest in a book where you're not fond of the main couple. Thing is, it didn't really feel like it was their book. Yes, there is a part 2 but if it's Dante's book, I need him to shine throughout. On a side note, barebackin' it with some dude you know zilch about, simply taking his word for it? No. The excessive use of the term 'feed' when it comes to sex was just entirely too much, overkill.

 Speaking of sex, the backstory of the Gods and the descendants was fascinating. I wanted to know more and more and more but omg, the sex was endless. I mean literally at every turn to the point where I had to start skimming. Unfortunately, it helped kill the story for me. The supporting cast, did however, have my full attention. Ki and Thia? YES PLEASE.  Resiayanna and Sabrael? YES PLEASE. Christoff and Jade? YES PLEASE and I have to say, Zaqar and Myrrine were EVERYTHING!!! Alas, there was simply too much going on yet not enough of what really mattered. Not turned off to the point of tossing the series, yet not intrigued enough to jump straight into the next installment. I'll pick up Dante Part 2 sometime down the road.
2825542
As a huge fan of the Hope series I was just dying to give this book a higher rating.
Unfortunately I felt that the majority of the 'love' portion of the book was squeezed quickly into the last 15% of the book.
Don't get me wrong, I understand why it had to happen that way... I just wish that we had a longer bit to enjoy their feelings being out in the open.
Brendan,the local fire chief,  is a widower with two small children living in Hope's Crossing.  He's been alone (not counting his very large and loving family) since his wife died suddenly a little over two years ago.
Enter Lucy.  Just fired from her high energy and profile job, she has come back to the only place she felt safe in her life, the huge old Victorian house in Hope's Crossing left to her by her recently deceased Great Aunt.  Lucy and Brendan have a history (don't they always?) as Lucy is the cousin and former best friend of his departed wife who shared a passionate kiss with Brendan years ago before he set his sights on Lucy's cousin.  Hurt by his rejection of her, Lucy has treated Brendan coldly for years and he has reciprocated.
Once the two of them are in the same town and running into each other, the majority of the book is spent watching the two of them fight their intense attraction.  To say things blow hot and cold would be an understatement.  Brendan and Lucy spend moments kissing passionately and then days running away from each other because neither is comfortable with their new emotions.
As a person, I understood Brendan's uncertainty and need to take things slowly.  As a reader it was highly frustrating and didn't provide as much meat to the story as I would like.  It also made it slightly unbelievable the speed at which both came to terms with their feelings at the very end.  I just didn't have enough time to enjoy the two of them together in a relationship.
Also I was disappointed to see Lucy's erstwhile sister, Crystal, disappear without hardly a word towards the end with no type of closure with their father.  I ended up feeling like she was a prop instead of a character which is too bad because I really enjoyed her.
The saving grace with this book was the happy revisiting of beloved characters that have come before.  I always enjoy catching up with their lives and seeing what is new.  I love this series and I fully intend to keep reading... however this instalment was not as enjoyable as the previous offerings.
4725993
I wanted to love this book, but couldn't quite get there. I just love the concept, and I hate giving semi-negative reviews to indie authors. But I feel pretty strongly about this book and I want to be straightforward. It's a super cool concept - the horsemen have to save the world, hell is not as it seems - and the description is really quite good. This author is definitely capable of some memorable scenes. The issues, in my opinion, are with the pacing and the character voices. The book moved really rather slowly at first, without managing to suck you into what should have been a very interesting world. That part could have used a really good edit to move things along. But more than that, the world of hell needed to be a bit more compelling and believable. The joviality of the tone didn't really mesh for me: It didn't quite hit the right blend of gallows humor and dire portents.

Part of what alienated me was the tone of the character's voices. It comes off as very modern, rather young, and they tend to all sound the same. It basically read to me as a bunch of teenage boys joking around with each other. I wanted more. And that' a really good thing, that I *wanted* more from these characters. They piqued my interest. I wanted more depth, to get to know them, find out what made them different and unique.  The story for me didn't really take off until we got to see the flashbacks to the character's lives. I could have read a whole book just about that.

At any rate, I think this author has got something special, and I would definitely consider reading more. I want to see these works grow and change, live up to their full potential, and knock some socks off.
4105316
Really had to force my way through this book. I love the idea behind the story and really wanted to like it. Unfortunately wanting to like it didn't work like it was supposed to.
640930
I have mixed feelings on this book. I love the characters in the series, and the relationships among them are genuine and fun to read.
The main characters in this book, Gina and Reece, along with a spunky 6-year old Piper, had me excited about the story. The beginning of the book was captivating and gave me high hopes for a great read. A veteran so scarred by his experiences that he barely spoke anymore and his emotionally scarred physical therapist who wanted to help him in any way possible, both trying to deal with their attraction for each other was a perfect match. I was anxious to see the development of their relationship.
The story disappointed me from there because it was so rushed. One day, Reece would do no more than grunt in response to Gina's talking. A day later, he is talking non-stop and sharing his most personal experiences. A week later, he is proposing to Gina in front of a room full of people after serenading her and dancing in front of the crowd. Additionally, all of this insta-love and insta-cure comes before he so much as sees a psychologist.
Additionally, the conversations often made me roll my eyes. I am all for romance, but some of what was being said was so over-the-top I had a hard time believing anyone would ever say it, let alone a tough, scarred SEAL.
Though I did not thoroughly enjoy this book, I did think Piper was adorable and funny. I also enjoyed revisiting the characters from the first book as well as meeting the new secondary characters. And, though this one isn't a favorite, I like it enough that I will definitely visit Warrior Falls again for future adventures and romance.

*ARC from Netgalley
1228928
This had the potential to be a great book. However the heroine was very frustrating. And since the book is told exclusively from her POV, I got frustrated a lot.

Erin first meets Seth when he moves to her home town to live with his guardian following the death of his grandfather. Seth was a emotionally distant teenager who grew up to be an emotionally distant man. As soon as he could he moves away without a look back. The two reconnect at the funeral of Seth's guardian years later. Seth had not really enamored himself of the people of the town but his guardian, Mac, had been beloved. But at Mac's funeral, Erin noticed how alone and lonely he looks and, in a fit of compassion, she cajoles him out for a drink.

After great conversation and lots of liquor the two wind up in bed together. The sex is fantastic but both simply smile and go their separate ways, content to have had a smokin' one night between the sheets. However, weeks later Erin discovers she has become pregnant from the encounter and tracks Seth down to tell him he is going to be a father.

Initially I really enjoyed the dynamic. I loved that Erin wasn't obsessing over Seth or that she hadn't given the night more significance than what it was. But my enjoyment of this dynamic wanes fairly quickly because as far as 3/4 into the book, Erin never feels anything beyond friendship for Seth. And it isn't a case where she is in denial and the reader realizes it even if she doesn't. No. The way the writer presents this, I was convinced that Erin really had no feelings beyond friendship and co-parent-ship for Seth.

I like it when romance novels push boundaries. But having your heroine NOT even begin to fall in love with your hero for three-quarters of the book is not the boundary I want pushed. Honestly, I was baffled by Erin's reasoning especially since she and Seth created such an intimate relationship throughout her pregnancy. He, by all counts, was sexy, handsome, great in the sack, committed to being part of the pregnancy and he was totally into her. During the pregnancy he was clearly falling for her. And yet Erin was insistent, to the point where she got irritated with the idea, that she just didn't think of him that way.

I get IRL that this can happen. A woman can get pregnant from a one night stand and not fall in love with the father. But this is a romance novel and the expectation is that Erin would begin to grow deeper feelings for Seth. So when that doesn't happen I got frustrated.

And then it does. Because suddenly 'Durp! I do love you.' Erin says. She's been falling in love with him after all. But Honestly, as a reader I felt cheated. I don't feel that I got to see that happen. And what is more, Erin kept telling me it wasn't happening.

And what is worse, I didn't 100% trust her. I kept waiting for her to mess it up somehow. I was gratified to know that on some level the author was aware of the impression Erin made because Seth couldn't relax either after she tells him. He, just like me, kept waiting for her to back out.

The books gets three stars because the writing is excellent. I thought she allowed the story to unfold nicely, even leisurely. I especially loved all the scenes around the labor and birth. There is an author's note in the book that the author had never been pregnant or had kids, so the fact that I was totally transported back to my own pregnancies during those scenes really speaks to her ability to communicate in writing. And although I wish he had some sort of POV, (he gets no POV at all) Seth's character and emotional state are well conveyed also.
3805853
This book has SO much potential, plot and story wise, and I really wish that I enjoyed it more than I did. But I just couldn't get into it. Second chance romances are great and I love reading them, but I couldn't connect with the characters at all and Arya was really wishy-washy, which sucked because she had way more potential as a heroine than that! I did finish the book though and there is just enough interest in there to make me want to read the next book. Hopefully that one is better!

* I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.*
2354662
I really wanted to LOVE this book. The fact is I couldn't finish it. It was good, but there is something that drags in the writing. One day I may try and pick it up again - like I said, I want to LOVE this book - the premise of it really tickles the senses.

The cover art is fantastic, the banter that we get in the beginning of the book kept me going - then the banter stopped and the ultimate deceptions begin...

If you like characters who lie, deception to the max, and to be strung along until the last moment - this book is for you.

Apparently I'm just not up to the task of dealing with this spy thriller at the moment. The deception seems to drag on a bit after where the curtain should have closed and the next act should have began.