Review: Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams

Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams 
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Format: eARC, 371 pages
Publisher: William Morrow
Series: Forgiving Lies #1
Source: Edelweiss

Description from Goodreads:
A matter of secrets...
Undercover cop Logan "Kash" Ryan can't afford a distraction like his new neighbor Rachel Masters, even if she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. To catch a serial killer, he needs to stay focused, yet all he can think about is the feisty, long-legged coed whose guarded nature intrigues him

A matter of lies...
Deceived and hurt before, Rachel would rather be a single, crazy cat lady than trust another guy, especially a gorgeous, tattooed bad boy with a Harley, like Kash. But when his liquid-steel eyes meet hers, it takes all of Rachel's will-power to stop herself from exploring his hot body with her own.

A matter of love...
As much as they try to keep it platonic, the friction between them sparks an irresistible heat that soon consumes them. Can Kash keep Rachel's heart and her life safe even as he risks his own? Will she be able to forgive his lies ... or will she run when she discovers the dangerous truth? 

I spent a majority of February in a reading slump. Not so much because I didn't have anything good to read--actually it was because of the opposite. I had so much awesome stuff to read and I couldn't stick to any one thing. Then I picked up Forgiving Lies and I was hooked. 

Now, the hooking was actually more of a process than a thing that happened the moment I started reading the book. The very beginning is a lot of background information, which isn't outright boring or anything, but it didn't exactly enthrall me either. So I started the book in January, where I got through the nitty gritty of the beginning, and then picked it back up around the end of February, which was when this book saved me from the deep hole of my slump.

Aside from the very beginning, Forgiving Lies had me thoroughly engaged in the life and happenings of these characters. The mystery aspect wasn't very mysterious, but the sweet romance and amusing banter made up for that. It takes some well-worked characters to make up completely for a slacking facet of the plot, and Molly McAdams really did a wonderful job writing characters that I certainly wanted to spend time with. 

Rachel was a great heroine. She was a victim, but she didn't play it up. She was strong and resolute, and even though she has her issues, they aren't over the top and annoying. They're just how she is, and I was okay with that. Kash was also a great character. I loved being in his head, and his struggles were something I remained interested in throughout the whole story. And just his thoughts in general. He is such a genuinely good person, and I respect him so much for that. He is also attractive. I respect that as well.

Throughout the novel, I slowly but surely fell in love with Molly McAdams' writing. The book may have started out flimsy, but it definitely worked its way up by the time the end was upon us. I also think Molly did a marvelous job of portraying Rachel's situation with Blake. I could see how Rachel's logic went, and that whole ordeal was very realistic, which is something that I'm not usually convinced of when events such as this are added into stories.

The ending to Forgiving Lies is a total cliffhanger. I'm not even going to pretend anything else. It's a refreshing cliffhanger, though. I was certainly clamoring for the next book, but I also appreciated the great build-up to where the story left off. 

Overall, Forgiving Lies is a great story, and I'm glad I chose this one as my first to wade into Molly McAdams' wonderful writing. She creates believable characters that I grew fond of, sweet romance that made me giggle, and a story as a whole that drew me in more and more as it went on. I am way more than excited to dive into my next book by Molly McAdams! 

*Actual Rating: 3.5 hearts, but I'm rounding up*

Review: Sempre by J.M. Darhower

Sempre by J.M. Darhower 
Release Date: November 25, 2013
Format: eARC, 258 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star
Series: Forever Series #1
Source: Edelweiss

Description from Goodreads:
This is a story about sacrifice... death... love... freedom. This is a story about forever.

Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco had vastly different childhoods. Haven, a second-generation slave, grew up isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege, never having to answer for anything he did. Both now seventeen, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide, making them question everything they ever believed.

Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think. In a world full of chaos, where money and power rule, Haven and Carmine yearn to break free, but a string of events that started before either were born threatens to destroy them instead. Murder and betrayal are a way of life, and nothing comes without a price — especially not freedom.

How much will they have to sacrifice? Can they escape their pasts? And, most of all, what does it mean to be free? Not everything is as it seems, and no one can possibly come out unscathed, but maybe, just maybe, it’ll be worth it in the end. 

Sempre is one of those books I was extremely skeptical of when I started it, but I wanted to give it a try anyway because it looked like it could be cool. That skepticism, however, faded mighty quickly when this book stole all of my reading attention and more than a couple hours of sleep. I swear, this book was so addicting!

First of all, these characters are magnificent. I feel like I know every single one of them and want to be friends will them all. I felt for Haven, Carmine, and Vincent, and want to be best buds with Dominic. Haven was innocent but strong, and I enjoyed watching her change from completely closed off against everything--against hope--to making jokes and being comfortable around people she used to fear. And Carmine... goodness. There was so much to him, and it was great to learn more and more about him throughout the story, and to see him open up just like Haven did. 

The romance in this book made my heart explode. Well. Not really. But I'm pretty sure it wanted to. Because there was so much sweetness, and I felt SO. DARN. HAPPY. For Carmine and Haven. I loved seeing them grow individually along with their relationship. So. Freaking. Cute. GOODNESS.

So much went on in this book. I couldn't even tell you how many times I was surprised, or happy, or downright flabbergasted. The whole thing was awesome, and I really love this book. The story was told in 3rd person POV, moving between Haven, Carmine, and Vincent. The only parts that felt like they dragged a little in comparison to the others were when we were in Vincent's head, but as the book went on, his parts became more and more interesting as we learned more and I started trying to figure it all out.

Oh, and I heart me some Carmine, but Corrado was my favorite character in this book. I am quite fond of that fellow.

Overall, Sempre was utterly addicting. I adored the characters, enjoyed the story, and ended up highlighting the crap out of all the sweet, funny, and outright awesome parts this book is filled with. I plan on jumping into the sequel, Sempre: Redemption as soon as I possibly can swing it. Because, seriously--CORRADO. (And Carmine. And Haven. And ALL OF THE THINGS.)

Review: Trust in Me by J. Lynn

Trust in Me by J. Lynn
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Format: eARC, 237 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Impulse
Series: Wait For You #1.5
Source: Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Description from Goodreads:
It’s Wait for You as you’ve never seen it. Trust in Me lets you in on Cam’s side of the #1 New York Times Bestselling story.

Cameron Hamilton is used to getting what he wants, especially when it comes to women. But when Avery Morgansten comes crashing into his life – literally – he finally meets the one person who can resist his soulful baby blues. But Cam’s not ready to give up. He can’t get the feisty and intriguing girl out of his head.

Avery has secrets, secrets that keep her from admitting the feelings Cam knows she has for him. Will persistence (and some delicious homemade cookies) help him break down her barriers and gain her trust? Or will he be shut out of Avery's life, losing his first real shot at the kind of love that lasts forever?

We all know I loved Wait For You. And that I love JLA. So I'm just going to tell you now: I loved Trust in Me. But as always, I have REASONS. Ready for 'em?

Cam has a great personality. Or, should I say, Jen did a great job writing Cam's personality. If Wait For You were to have been dual POV, it would have been super easy to tell whether it was him or Avery telling the story. He's so DIFFERENT from Avery, and I loved it. Avery had a serious outlook on things, and while Cam could totally take things serious when needed, he was mostly super entertaining. He had a fun mind.

Cam and his sweetness. Again, his mind. I loved being inside it. He was so sweet. Little did I know how much he called Avery "Shortcake" in his mind. Ha! Outwardly, Cam was sweet as tea in Wait For You, but it was cool to be inside his head and see it extend there, too. But it still wasn't TOO MUCH, either. Cam was still a guy. Obviously.

Cam's cookies. I actually have nothing to add on this. Just...those cookies. ;) *giggles*

Extra things. It was nice to see Cam when he WASN'T with Avery, too. When he talked with Ollie and Jase. In between what happened with Avery. That was also a great set up for what's going to happen in Be With Me--Jase and Teresa. It's going to be all kinds of awesome! And there were a few extras with Avery that I liked, too.

I pretty much just liked this whole book. Novella. Whatever.

BUT. This is definitely just something EXTRA. There's not a bunch of Cam-secrets in this one--it's not a NECESSARY read. If you liked Wait For You, then go for it! Read away. But if you're looking for a while different story all for Cam, then...nope. This is exactly what it says it is: Wait For You in Cam's POV. I loved it. I recommend it. But don't go in hoping for more than it is.

I actually thought there would be more extra things than there were. The story was great, the writing was fantastic, but there wasn't as much to this story as I thought there would be. Like I said, it's just something EXTRA. For those of us who love Cam.

Oh, and Trust in Me was definitely the perfect title for this! I love the perfection of those words.

Overall, Jen writes some darn good books. I'd say this one can be added to the long list of those. Cam is swoon-worthy, and I love him more than I did before (who'd of thought THAT was possible?). I can't wait to get more glimpses of Cam and Avery in Be With Me!

♥Jessica(:

Review: Wait For You by J. Lynn♥

Wait For You by J. Lynn
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Format: ebook, 332 pages
Publisher: Avon
Series: Wait For You #1
Source: Edelweiss

Description from Goodreads:
Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

How do I explain how I feel about Wait For You? Because I'm seriously not sure about this right now. First and foremost I should tell you this: it was awesome. But that's a vague statement. WHY is this story so awesome?

First, the characters. Jen's writing is wonderful, but I love her characters the very most, and Wait For You was no exception. Avery was somewhat annoying to me in the sense that she spent so much time running from everything. She didn't face things and that bothered me, especially when it affected her relationships with people. A certain person in particular, actually. Hehe. But other than that, I liked Avery more and more as the story went on and I learned more about her. Then I understood her better and her decisions didn't grate on me as much. CAM. Then there is Cam. Just thinking about Cam right now makes me giggle. He is kind and funny and I want him to be real so I can touch him. I mean...heh. He bakes cookies and has a pet turtle named Raphael. I swear, JLA writes some of the best guys. Other than our two main characters, there are supporting characters that I enjoyed so much. They were amusing, and I always like seeing interactions with friends. Couple-y things are fantastic! But it's nice to see regular interactions with other people, too. Oh, and I'm talking both Cam AND Avery's friends here. I liked them all.

But my love for this book goes beyond the characters, obviously. The writing. I don't know how Jen does it. I'm thinking it's some supernatural-type explanation because really. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? She writes the best dialogue, she writes the best kissy scenes, she writes the best awkward scenes, she write the best... I actually have a long list of this in my head right now, but I'm guessing you get my point. Her writing pulls you in and keeps you there with a freaking chokehold or something. But it's the most lovely chokehold that ever existed.

The story. Honestly, not much surprised me about this book. I knew what Avery's secret was and it wasn't incredibly difficult to guess what Cam's issues were. This is one of those cases, though, where that doesn't matter. Because the story is written well and the situations are still so incredibly interesting. Plus, Cam and Avery's story is super sweet, even with the heavy topics strewn within. They work through it and it is magnificent.

Overall, Wait For You is a terrific book that will make you feel all tingly inside. It was the first contemporary book I read by JLA, but goodness knows it will not be my last. I loved it! And I am so excited for Trust in Me and Be With Me. More Cam and then more awesome. Lots and lots of awesome. Eeep!

♥Jessica(:

Review: Real by Katy Evans

Real by Katy Evans
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Format: eARC, 268 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books
Series: Real, Raw & Ripped #1
Source: Edelweiss

Description from Goodreads:
A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

I read this book a while ago, so I've spent a bunch of time thinking about what I wanted to say in this review. And after all that time of thinking, I've decided something.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book.

I know there are SO MANY people who adore this book, and at first I was one of those people. Remy is totally swoon-worthy and Brooke isn't a terrible female protagonist, so that's two big things people can easily like about this book.

BUT. But but but. There were also a few things that I didn't like that some people may have been able to look past because they were having a good time reading and whatnot.

So, first-- the things I liked about this book:
I'm not going to lie, I love me some Remington. From the moment we first met him I was 100% On His Team. Personally, I'm okay with the alpha-male thing he had going. And then there is Brooke. Don't get me wrong, she got on my nerves quite a bit. But she was still smart, strong, and determined, and I can't overlook that.

I really enjoyed the whole fighting/sports aspect of this book. I just thought it was a really cool premise. I know it's been done before, but I still liked it. And lastly, REAL. I adore the whole idea of how they were each other's real. So I guess I liked the romance aspect in this book. They were just so sweet and REAL and I loved it.

Now, the things I did not like about this book:
Sometimes, I got bored. And I don't mean only a page or two of boredom. I mean a long enough couple of chunks that I considered more than once to just skip ahead to see when I'd get excited about what was coming next again.

Also, I felt like a lot of this was repetitive. There was a lot of this book that was "Oh, no, I can't tell her my problem, she'll run." And then when that was over, there was a lot of BEING TOGETHER that was nice to see at first, but then got to be too much.

Lastly, there was nothing about this book that REALLY surprised me. I pretty much saw it all coming. There was one point at which I was like "Ahhhhh, yeah, that makes sense," but that was it.

Overall, I did enjoy this book even though I had some issues with it, and I will be continuing with the series. I liked the characters and the romance was sweet, so I look forward to reading more of that in the next books!


♥Jessica(:

Stacking the Shelves #4 ♥ I Appreciate You!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

 

Fun fact about this video: I had to redo the whole thing over because my Lux books were not on the shelf behind me (because I've been reading them for the Lux Readathon) and it bothered me that there was such a gaping hole where those beauties should be. So yeah.

 

Also, Happy Esther Day!

 

 

 

 

Books Mentioned

The Last Forever by Deb Caletti

Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

Unexpected Love by Charlene M. Martin

The Solitude of Passion by Addison Moore

A Shadow of Light by Bella Forrest

Meant to Be by Tiffany King

Forgotten Souls by Tiffany King

The Ascended by Tiffany King

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

 

Bloggers Mentioned

Meredith @ Pandora's Books

Val @ Stuck in Books

 

I love you all and thank you for stopping by! Be sure to link things and tell me things and ALL OF THE THINGS!

 

♥Jessica(:

Stacking the Shelves #3 ♥ I Got Some E-Books!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

 

I just got a few e-books and a little (awesome) swag this week, so I didn't think I needed to make a video for that. I WILL make a video next week, though, if I get some physical books! So no worries.

 

~For Review~

  

I got all of these from Edelweiss, and yes. I TOTALLY flailed when I saw I got approved for Keeping Her. AHHHHH!

 

Thanks to Entangled for this one!

 

Thank you, Diane Rinella for sending me this one! I LOVED the first book, Love's Forbidden Flower, and I am both excited and scared to read this sequel. Heh. Oh, and I have a super fun character interview with my favorite character from these books to post around the time I review this, too ;) So that'll be fun. Hehehehehe

 

~Won~

I actually won a $5 Amazon GC from Nancy Straight (thank you, Nancy!), but this is what I bought with it.

 

 

I've been wanting to read this one for a while now. It's going to be emotional, I can feel it.

 

~Gifted~

 

Thank you so much to Jessirae for gifting this one to me once I told her I finally got Taking Chances! You rock, girl. I HEART YOU!!!!!!!

 

~Freebie~

 

I got this one for free on Amazon!

 

~Swag~

My pretties! Thank you so much to Val for sending me these! LIVE, girl. LIVE. <3

 

And that is everything I got this week!

 

Let me know what you got! Leave links, tell me what you think of my haul, you know...ALL OF THE THINGS. :)

 

♥Jessica(: