Beautiful Disaster ~ Jaime McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I FINISHED IT!!!

Yeah...that's about the most positive thing I can say about this train wreck of a novel.

I made many attempts to read this book over the last year. So many of my friends here on GR and out in the real world absolutely LOVED this book and kept promising me that once I got into the story I would fall in love with Travis the way they had. So, for that reason...and because I am just too stubborn for my own good...I kept trying.

A friendly warning...spoilers and ranting ahead. Consider yourself warned. :)

This book definitely seems polarizing. It seems like most people either have it on their list of favorite books, or they think it's the worst thing ever written. I really wish I was a part of the first camp. I mean, reading this would have been a helluva lot more enjoyable if I had loved it. As it was, Beautiful Disaster ended up being one of the most frustrating, trying-to-resist-slamming-my-Kindle-into-the-wall, migraine-inducing reads I have ever had.



First of all, I didn't have a problem with the writing, per say. Jamie McGuire is a decent author. My main problem were the characters and their behavior. I have never...and I mean NEVER encountered a book so full of annoying characters in my life. In fact, I would have to say the character that annoyed me the least was in fact Travis, and considering how unsettled and creeped out I was by some of his behavior...that statement is pretty damn scary to make. But, it's true.

America...the worlds most useless best friend. One second she's encouraging Abby to go out with her ken doll suitor Parker, and then the next she is raging at her for not being with Travis. I have never seen a character flip-flop more in my life. Another example: When Travis stumbles home from the bar with 2 girls and Abby gets her feelings hurt about it (even though she has repeatedly stated that she can only be friends with Travis and doesn't care what he does), America rushes to Abby's defense and flips out on Travis for disrespecting Abby. Then...she does a COMPLETE about face a short time later, and argues with Abby that she's being unreasonable by being pissed at Travis because she's giving him mixed signals etc. Oh...and let's not forget the fact that America not only supported Abby's decision to slam back 15 or so shots at her 19th birthday party...but berated everyone else for showing any concern for Abby's potential date with alcohol poisoning. Now that's friendship!



Travis' cousin, roommate and unfortunate boyfriend of America Shep, and Parker Abby's on again, off again, who-gives-a-sh*t-at-this-point suitor are both ridiculously one-dimensional. As are the "bad guys" who pop up at the end of the book. And then...we have Abby. Quite possibly the most annoying character of all time (or at least the most annoying character that I have come across in a looooong time).




She is obnoxious, flighty and self-centered. She is not satisfied unless everyone around her is focused on her wants and needs (despite her half-hearted claims to the contrary). And for someone who supposedly moved away to escape the stigma of her former life, she sure didn't seem all that phased by all the people talking about her at school. Travis and yes, even America seemed far more upset about the rumors swirling around the high schoolcollege about her relationships with Travis and Parker. Which brings me to my next point; how could anyone with more than 1 brain cell act surprised that people (especially the childish kind of people that populate this book) would think she was dating Travis when she was....um, living with him? And, oh yeah...going out on dates with him!!!



Now, I would be remiss if I didn't comment on probably the most infamous scene in the entire book. The Post-Virginity-Taking-Freak-Out.

Okay. Now, for the first 40% of the book I knew that Travis was more than a little obsessive. Controlling. Had anger issues. But when we hit that magical 42%...that was when all hell broke loose and the crazy really began to fly! Let me just say that Abby's slinking out of the apartment in the middle of the night was beyond ridiculous and I could understand Travis being hurt by it. But....BUT...his reaction to it...ripping the door off it's hinges, tearing his bed apart, pretty much trashing his entire apartment? That was the point when this book went from Crazy Town, into run for the hills and bring a shotgun to protect yourself Raving Lunatic City.

Make no mistake about it....Travis' behavior is not right. It's not romantic. It's not the behavior of someone I would consider a Hero. The fact that so many people disagree with me, boggles my mind. I mean, he is the runaway leader in a GR poll for Favorite Book Boyfriend. What?!?! Sure he may love Abby and be willing to change who is is in order to keep her (even though 1 - she doesn't deserve the devotion and 2- having to change who you are to make someone else happy....even if you're a violent, possessive & controlling caveman...is not the basis for a good relationship to being with...but i digress...), but he is so far away from my idea of a true hero or leading man that it's kind of scary to think that so many women want...him. But...that's just me. Like I said, I am very much in the minority in regards to Travis, so if you dig that kind of thing....more power to you. I just think that if someone acted the way he did in real life? He would not be flying off to Vegas with Abby to tie the knot, he would be in prison.

*end of rant*

Bone Deep ~ Bonnie Dee

Bone Deep by Bonnie Dee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such a sweet romance.

I had never heard of Bonnie Dee before picking up this book, but I will definitely be checking out more of her books.

Tom was one of the most unique and sweetest heroes I have come across in some time. His character was definitely the main thing I loved about this book.

I had a few issues that kept me from giving this a 5 star rating. Sarah came across as a little flat at times, and the story did seem to drag a bit towards the middle of the book. And this is billed as erotica, but the sex scenes were a bit tame in my opinion....the descriptions that the author used during the love scenes came off as a bit...cold at times. Also, I realize that Tom was very much a quiet man, but I did miss having him actually telling Sarah how he felt about her.

But otherwise, this was an overall beautiful love story between two lonely people who definitely deserved some happiness. This book left me with a big case of the warm fuzzies. :)

The Dex Files ~ Karina Halle

The Dex-Files by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I honestly thought it was impossible for me to love the snarky, complicated asshat that is Dex Foray any more than I already did. And then I read this novella, and realized how wrong I was.




Holy...smokes.

Now, it will come as no surprise to anyone who has been following my updates and reviews lately to know that am a HUGE fan of the EIT series. So, my expectations going into this novella were high to begin with. But once again, Karina Halle blew all my expectations out of the water.

Warning: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.

Dex has been a mystery to fans of the series from the beginning, so having the chance to get a peek inside that twisted, pervy head of his?! Sooo damn gratifying. Getting to see his take on some of the key scenes from the series to date was eye-opening to say the least. For example, finding out that Dex was already having feelings for Perry before the end of their first adventure...made my inner Dex/Perry-shipping fangirl want to do wind sprints around the yard.



Of course getting a glimpse inside Dex's head was eye-opening for many reasons. Least of which was seeing just how much of a pervy weirdo he really is. And I will stand here and proclaim for all the world to hear: I APPROVE!!! :P



"I wondered if she'd let me grab her thick, dark mane and hold it like a pair of reins, if i could make her come with my girth alone or if I'd need to reach down and stroke her until she literally dripped on the carpet."



Um...yeah. I will freely admit I thought that entire chapter, Big Dumb Sex would put me in my grave. I will never listen to that Soundgarden song the same way again, let me tell you! But despite my hormonal overload while reading certain parts of this novella, the main thing I truly loved about The Dex Files was getting to see not only how vulnerable and conflicted Dex was most of the time...but how fiercely protective and loyal he was with Perry right from the beginning. Even when he seemed cold and pushing her away, he was struggling with his feelings for her, and the need to protect himself from letting his guard down and ending up with his heart being ripped apart again.

There was something so vulnerable and restrained about Perry, something that made me want to do stupid, ridiculous things to keep her safe. At the same time, I wanted to draw her out and make her strong, like a diamond from coal.
Without even realizing it, I found myself gazing deep into those blue eyes, totally fucking lost in them. My heart did a little flip. Christ, this was not a good idea. My heart of all hearts did not need to be flipping.




Okay. I know what you're thinking; I need to get a hold of myself here. Every time I write a review for one of the books in this series I come off sounding like some smitten fangirl. Well...that's because I AM a smitten fangirl. My love for this series and these characters is ridiculous. And that kind of makes it impossible for me to sound professional when writing about them. So, if that's wrong...so be it!!



So, I will continue to pimp these books out to my friends, and anyone willing to listen. Because they deserve a bigger audience.
Karina Halle is a badass force to be reckoned with, and I am so effing glad I allowed myself to get sucked into this incredible series that has been consuming my life for the last few weeks.


She was mine. For the sake of appearances, she was my wife, but she was mine anyway. She didn't know it yet, but I did. It was wrong and it made no sense, but she belonged with me. No one else, not anyone else.

Reaper's Property ~ Joanna Wylde

Reaper's Property by Joanna Wylde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy Va-Jay-Jay, this book was a scorcher!



I'm attempting to get my hormones under control after finishing this book, so I will try and keep this review short and to the point.

Let there be no doubt about it; this book is an insanely, panties-exploding-off-your-body kind of hot. The sex scenes are ridiculously erotic, and while there was one thing I was a little put off by I didn't like the whole 'sweet-butt' (i.e. how the MC's have a woman that they 'share' among themselves) aspect. Yes, I know that this book is about Motorcycle gangs and their lives are different and edgy and all that, but I'm not fond of reading about women being used that way, so that by itself...while a somewhat small part of the story...bothered me. But, that's just a personal preference and might not bother anyone else. the book was a hell of a lot of fun to read.

And, I can't write even a short review of this story without mentioning the man of the hour....Horse. And yes...he has that nickname for the exact reason you think he does.



I am a huge fan of Alpha males, and Horse is about as Alpha as they come. He's sexy, crude, bossy, belligerent, arrogant, and goes after what he wants with a single minded focus that was at times downright scary. He was more than a little too pushy for my taste. As I have said many times before, there is a fine line between a sexy Alpha and an obnoxious asshat. Horse crossed that line more than once for me unfortunately.

However....even with the problems I had, I still really enjoyed this twisted ride on the wild side.


Warning: This book will cause a tingly sensation in your girly bits. Be prepared with an extra supply of panties. You're welcome.

Lying Season ~ Karina Halle

Lying Season by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 mind blowing stars


Where do I even begin with this review?!?



WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

I finished Lying Season in the wee hours of the morning (sleep? Who needs sleep?!), and now several hours later, I am still finding it difficult to put my thoughts together in order to write this review. It has been stated by several people that this series only gets better and better with each book, and that is definitely true.

Karina Halle's skill at creating a story that grabs you from the first page and forces you to ignore every aspect of your day to day life until you have reached the end of another mind-fuck of a roller coaster ride, knows no bounds. Seriously...I think she might be a witch.

I have been an avid reader since I was a child, and I can not remember ever being this obsessed with a series of books in my life. After finishing the previous book in the series, Dead Sky Morning, I decided to take a break from the EIT-verse and read something by another one of my favorite authors. I got about 10 pages into the book and could. not. get Dex and Perry out of my head long enough to concentrate on anything else. So, I gave up the fight and dove into this book with wild abandon.

In Lying Season we definitely have the creep factor that this series is known for. This time out Dex & Perry are poking around inside a partially abandoned mental hospital. And considering both Dex & Perry's history of emotional problems, it was bound to be an intense aspect of the book. And it definitely worked very well. However, unlike the previous books in the series, this time around the main focus of the story was on the characters and their secrets. The underlying theme throughout the book is lies and how each one, little or massive, has consequences. To say that this book was a turning point in the series is putting it mildly. It was a complete game changer.

We are introduced to some new characters in this book, and chief among them is Jenn. Dex's seemingly perfect girlfriend.



Up until this point Jenn has been this shadowy figure, mentioned in passing and those of us who ship Dex/Perry already didn't like her to begin with despite knowing next to nothing about her. Well, here we see Jenn in all her bitchy, obnoxious glory and it is not a pretty picture.



Now, it's obviously no secret that I am a huge fan of our favorite Ghost Hunters, but there were times when I was reading this book where I seriously wanted to throttle Perry. She has a habit of making bad decisions, but something that she did here just went beyond the pale for me. Switching out Dex's medication with placebos as an 'experiment'. Yes, I know that she regretted it, and knew that she did the wrong thing, but for me this was a huge breach of trust. Not only that, but the potential hazards to Dex's already fragile emotional state and physical well-being were enormous. It was just an incredibly cruel and selfish thing to do on her part.


After getting that out of my system, I guess it's time for me to get down to the nitty gritty. Something fans of the series have been waiting for since the first book... Dex & Perry finally have sex. And it's hot as hell.

"The things I want to do to you..." he whispered roughly.
I...brought his ear down to my mouth.
"Do them," I breathed back.




But...of course things couldn't be that simple. Nope. Not in Dex & Perry's world. And even as I was squeeing myself into fangirl oblivion, I knew that things were going to get ugly before too long. And...they did, Damnit.




To sum up my thoughts - despite the emotional ass-beating I took while reading this book, allow me to continue sounding like a broken record. The EIT series continues to blow me away in every way imaginable. 4 1/2 books in and I have yet to give anything less than a 5+ star rating. I have never come close to doing that before.Karina Halle in a very short time has officially become my favorite author.

"I want you to stay with me," he said. "And that's the problem. Every time you leave me, I need you a little bit more."

"If you could see the way his face lights up when he talks about you, when he looks at you, and compare that to Jenn. Oh, darling, no comparison."

"Dex has a heart. He just doesn't know how to use it."

"It's not magic, Perry. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known and before you say anything, you've always been that way to me."

"You're the light in all this madness. You're my light. I should have been with you..." The thought hit him as his face crumpled in amazement. "Oh God, why am I not with you?"
"Because you're an idiot." I said.
And then i kissed him.




Read more of my reviews at my blog: http://ravingbookaddict.blogspot.com

Dead Sky Morning ~ Karina Halle

Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 mind-blowing stars

An Open Letter To Karina Halle,



Hi!

I think your books are hazardous to my health.
There. I said it.

*glances over at the clock and confirms that it's nearly 3am.*

I need my sleep. I really, really do. But ever since I started reading your Experiment in Terror series a few days ago, I have been a woman on a mission. And it seems my mission is to read your books as fast as possible. I feel like some kind of drug addict, unable to kick the habit. I keep telling myself that I'm going to pace myself...slow down and make the books last. That I can stop anytime I want to. But no. I find myself sitting on my couch at 2am...again...unable to put my Kindle down because I *have* to know what happens next. I don't know why I'm surprised. I haven't made it to bed before 3am since the night I started Darkhouse.

Well played Ms Halle. Well played.

Dead Sky Morning was of course completely and utterly brilliant. On every level. I could sit here and go on and on about all the little things I loved about it. The truly creepy...no, downright frightening atmosphere of the setting (an abandoned island that used to be a leper colony), the insane tension that built throughout the book. The chemistry between Dex and Perry that almost burned my fingers right off my Kindle(corny, but come on...it's 3am. Cut me some slack), the truly terrifying images that are forever embedded in my brain... (view spoiler)[(the shoe with a foot still inside...and the baby. The freaking baby with it's skin peeling off.... (hide spoiler)]



Oh wait. I guess I did just sit here and go on and on about all of that. Silly me.

But you know what the craziest part about all of this is? Even though I am exhausted and feeling more than a little loopy right now. And even though I will spend another day in zombie-mode at work tomorrow. Despite all that, you know what?



Yeah. It was worth it.

So thank you, Ms Halle. Thank you for making me stay up most of the night reading your fan-freaking-tastic books. Thank you for creating the crazy, twisted world that encompasses the EIT universe. And thank you most of all for dreaming up Dex Foray & Perry Palomino (okay, maybe a little bit of an extra thank you for Dex. :P). I can't think of two better fictional characters to spend a few sleepless nights with.

Yours truly (and deliriously),
Holly


Read more of my reviews at my blog: http://ravingbookaddict.blogspot.com

Red Fox (EIT #2) & The Benson (EIT #2.5) ~ Karina Halle

Red Fox by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*sniff*

The end of this book actually made me teary. WTF? That was totally unexpected.

It's 2am and I'm exhausted from my marathon reading session tonight, so I will keep this short and sweet.

I feel like I know Perry and Dex so much better now. And I especially loved seeing the more vulnerable side of Dex this time around. Yes, there were times when I thought Perry made some dumb decisions and I wanted to shake some sense into her. But more often than not, I felt empathy for what she was going through. Not just with the crazy circumstances surrounding the mystery they were investigating in New Mexico, but for the emotional roller coaster she has been on since the minute she met Dex Foray. Lord knows that much like he's done with Perry, that man has cast some kind of spell over me as well. If only he weren't a fictional character. And if only i had a dollar for every time I've had that thought! :P

Anyway, it's late and I'm more than a little sleep deprived. So, I will end this short review by stating that I love the EIT series, and I loved the crazy journey that this book took me on.

"Dex," I whispered. "I hope you never stop feeling alive."
I could have sworn his heart skipped a few beats. He tensed. Then relaxed.
"As long as you're around," he said softly, "I'll be alive."




The Benson by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fan-freaking-tastic Perry & Dex adventure!

This time out, the duo are investigating a haunted hotel, and even though this is only a short novella, Karina Halle manages to convey some truly creepy moments. It goes without saying, but I really would have loved to have seen a full blown book centered around The Benson, since I have a feeling Halle would have been able to come up with many more frightening scenarios for our favorite pair of ghost hunters at that hotel.

I feel like I am starting to sound like a broken record, but honestly...Karina Halle is just blowing my mind. She is such a talented storyteller, and I haven't been this excited about a series of books in a long time.

Darkhouse ~ Karina Halle

Darkhouse by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 stars

Every once in a while I stumble across an author that just completely takes me by surprise in a wonderful, squee-inducing way. This time, it was Karina Halle.



I had heard some amazing things about her Experiment in Terror series, and have been meaning to check it out for quite a while. And after only reading the first few pages of Darkhouse, I knew this was something special.

22 yr old Perry Palomino has been haunted by bizarre dreams that have a habit of coming true. While on a weekend getaway with her family, she decides to explore an abandoned lighthouse on her uncle's property.

A lighthouse that is rumored to be haunted.


While there, Perry not only gets the bejesus scared out of her, but she stumbles across one Mr Dex Foray. Filmmaker and wannabe ghost hunter. The two form an unlikely alliance as Dex convinces Perry to help him make a 'demo' ghost hunting documentary for a website he works for.



Perry...oh how I loved this spunky little spit-fire. And I could relate to her on so many levels which only added to my love of this book. She's snarky, and insecure. Just trying to find her way in life & she sees Dex and his plan of becoming ghost hunters as a way out of her dull life.


And speaking of Mr Foray. He's mysterious and sexy...a smartass to Perry one minute, and fiercely loyal to her the next. He can be a little scary, and a lot vulnerable. He's a hipster with a porn 'stache, and probably more than a little crazy. He is all those things and more, and I love him to pieces.




The creep factor in this book was impressive. I don't spook easily, but there were definitely times when this book made me feel unsettled. And don't get me started on Crazy Clown Lady...



Some of my favorite highlights:

"Now wait a minute," I started, "how do I know that this is legitimate? I mean, you could still be a bald-headed meth addict hobo I stumbled upon in the lighthouse."
"I'm not bald yet."

"If we head into that lighthouse and see a bunch of weird whatnots and such and such, it's not going to make any sense unless we know the how, the why and when."

"We should probably have a safety word too," he said.
"A safety word? Like in S&M?"
His smile flashed, animated and bright.
"The safety word is 'Jell-O'."
God help me if I ever had to say 'Jell-O' for any reason.

"How come you aren't afraid?"
"Because I find life scarier than death."




With just the right mix of chills, snark-tastic banter among two fantastic characters & a plot that kept me entertained from page one, Darkhouse is a great start to a series I'm anxious to dive back into.

DARKHOUSE IS STILL FREE ON AMAZON. NO REASON TO DELAY...CLICK HERE AND GRAB THIS BOOK NOW!!

Quickie Reviews #6

Snatched: A Novella by Karin Slaughter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A quick, super fast paced novella featuring one of my favorite male characters in all of fiction.

Will Trent is doing routine surveillance duty at a local airport when he quite literally watches an abduction take place before his very eyes. Will blames himself for the young girl's disappearance and becomes obsessed with finding her before the kidnapper is able to navigate his way out of the airport.

Slaughter has long since been one of my go-to authors for crime and thrillers, and while this was a novella, she still managed to pack a lot of tension and fear into a short story. Will is a wonderfully complex character and I for one am always happy to read anything where he is featured.

Definitely one of the better novellas I read in 2012.

Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am SO grateful to have found this series.
Completely original and addictive storytelling. Deeply flawed characters that I still managed to care about.

This book also features several characters who speak with what can only be described as a kind of intensely grammatically incorrect dialect that would normally be a deal breaker for me when it comes to reading and enjoying a book. I'm not sure if it was just the fact that the dialect made sense in the scope of the story, or if I have gotten more easy-going in my old age (i'm betting on the first option) but it didn't bother me at all here. In fact, i actually thought the way that my favorite character Trouble spoke was...kind of cool. I know, it's weird, right?!

The only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars was the fact that I found the story slightly confusing towards the end. But, otherwise...this book totally rocked!

Knight by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Man am I ever in the minority on this one.

This story didn't work for me on any level. I didn't buy the romance at all, and the character of Knight wasn't appealing in the least to me. The whole "Daddy" thing, and the way he spoke were both huge turn offs for me. I am all for an Alpha/Dominant male, but he came off as nothing but a jerk to me.

Come Away With Me ~ Kristen Proby

Come Away With Me by Kristen Proby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 gushtastic stars

The perfect blend of sweet, angst-free romance and super hot sex.



I have had this book for quite a while, and to be honest...after reading some of the less than stellar reviews I kept pushing it down my TBR list.
If I have learned anything from this experience it's that I really need to ignore other people's reviews and go with my own gut instinct, because in the end...I absolutely adored this book.



Confession time: When i started reading this book, it took me a while to get past a couple of issues that i had. First of all, in the beginning it really felt like fanfiction to me. Not to say that the writing wasn't enjoyable to read...it was just that something felt a little off...which brings me to the other issue that i had. From the very first scene in which Natalie stumbles upon him, I had the impression that the author had based Luke's character on Rob Pattinson. And then...I read this.

Luke had stared in three vampire movies that not only did well, but became such a huge sensation that you couldn't go anywhere without seeing the stars or merchandise of all kinds.



But you know what? After that revelation, something amazing happened. I put the whole idea of fanfic and Edward Cullen out of my head...and lost myself in the story. Because what Kristen Proby did was bring to life an incredibly sweet, and blessedly angst-free love story that completely blew me away. And offered up more swoon-worthy moments than almost any other book I have ever read.





Luke is...hands down...the most romantic male character I have ever stumbled upon in fiction. Some of the things he does for Natalie almost made me cry because they were so overwhelmingly sweet. But not roll-your-eyes-to-the-back-of-your-head kind of sweet. No, Luke's sweetness was...just right in the scope of this incredibly romantic story, if that makes any sense?!

Something else that I absolutely loved about this book is that Natalie is not a stick-figure. She has curves, and Luke never stops letting Natalie know how much he appreciates those curves. It was refreshing to me to read about a man who appreciates a real woman's body. And while I will always love my bad boys, it was so nice to read about a guy who was head over heels in love with his girl and wanted the whole world to know it.

And did I mention the fact that i loved the lack of angst?! God, talk about a breath of fresh air! I for one have read way too many books where the H/h flip flop on their feelings and torture themselves (and the reader) with their (mostly self imposed) struggles to be together. Natalie and Luke embrace their feelings for each other and even though I realize the speed at which their relationship progresses may annoy some people, for me it felt natural.

"You are every fantasy I have ever had come true, Natalie...
I'm almost afraid to touch you," he whispers.
"Why?" I cock my head to the side, confused.
"I'm afraid you're not real."



In case you're beginning to think that there was no heat in this book...let me set your mind at ease. The sex scenes are hot! And yes, there are a lot of them. Luke and Natalie's chemistry is insane right from the beginning. If I was going to be nit-picky, I would admit that I got a little tired of reading the word 'impressive' when Natalie was thinking about a certain part of Luke's body, and the sheer number of times that Luke commented on how wet Natalie was. But again...that's being nit-picky. :P

Come Away With Me was a beautiful, swoon fest of a book. I was truly sad to see Luke & Natalie's story come to an end, because I loved being lost inside their world. <3



He leans down and gently presses his cheek to mine. "Thank you," he whispers.
"For what?" I whisper back.
"For being mine."