Ricochet (Addicted 1.5) ~ Krista & Becca Ritchie

Ricochet by Krista Ritchie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5+ I Love Lily & Lo Stars!


One of the best things about the Addicted series....besides the fact that it's probably the best written and emotionally fulfilling series out there right now...is the fact that K&B always give us a healthy dose of our favorite characters with each new release. There are no 50 page novellas to fill in the gap between regular books in the series. So, even though this is listed as book 1.5 in the series, it's a full length story. And I for one, couldn't be happier.

Ricochet focuses on Lily as she tries to cope with the absence of Lo, while he battles his alcohol addiction in rehab. Lily is of course, battling her own demons, and is struggling with the idea of staying committed and faithful to Lo while he's away. Which means no sex for 90 days. A tall order for a sex addict who has is without her support system for the very first time.

Going into this book, i was curious how K&B would handle Lily and Lo being apart, because one of the best parts of the first book, Addicted to You was the intense dynamic between them. But, if anything, this book solidified the reader's understanding of LiLo's unbreakable bond. These two people love each other enough to be strong for each other. To battle their demons separately in order to be stronger when they come back together.

This book is really where we start to get to know Rose and Connor....(my personal two favorite characters in the series). On the surface, Rose seems like an Ice Queen, but in reality she is fiercely loyal and devoted to those she loves. The way she loves and supports Lily, and makes it her mission to understand her sister's addiction...without question or judgement...is why Rose will always be the true backbone and hero of this entire series in my opinion. And then we have Connor (whom i will spend a GREAT deal of time drooling over in my reviews of later books in the series). He's an outsider to the group, but even though he appears to be arrogant and self-centered...okay, maybe he IS those things...but underneath it all, he is also fiercely loyal to those he cares about. In Lo, Connor finds his first true friend, and in Rose he finds a partner in crime.



Other reviewers have commented on this, but this book had some of the sexiest scenes that didn't involve two people being in the same room with each other. Let's just say Skype can be your friend.

When Lily and Lo finally do reunite, it is handled in a completely believable and realistic way. Yes, there are awkward moments, which is to be expected when one person has been off in rehab learning a completely new way to live. And yes, Lily does wonder if Lo will want to be with her now that he is on the road to recovery. Will he consider her too damaged, or a risk to his sobriety? Other authors may have decided to pile on the angst...separate the two characters...make them (and the reader) suffer through endless pages of them being miserable apart. But not in K&B's world. They know that they best, really the only, way that both Lily and Lo can hope to succeed in fighting their demons, is by doing so together. And i freaking love that.

I heart and soul of Lily & Lo's story, is their unwavering devotion to each other. And that is one of the many....many....reasons I love this series.

Epilogue ~ CJ Roberts

Epilogue by C.J. Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6++++++ stars.




I just devoured this book in one sitting. I had been saving it for months because to be honest, I didn't want to contemplate the idea of Caleb and Livie's story coming to an end. But...what an ending it was.




  "You don't need my forgiveness. Anything that's mine to give is already yours."



Let me apologize right off the bat because, this isn't going to be so much a review...as a fangirl gush-fest.

When I stumbled across The Dark Duet series last year, I dived into it head first, not really knowing what i was in for. I wasn't at all prepared for how dark and twisted that ride would be. And like most people, I found myself struggling with how to feel about Caleb. He does so many truly terrible things in the first two books. But, once CJ Roberts began to give us a glimpse into that tortured man's soul, i was hopeless to resist him. Much like Livie.



  "I have never felt comfortable sharing my feelings - especially my doubts, fears, hopes and desires. They are what make me vulnerable. And more than anything, I hate to be vulnerable."



While I was thrilled when I found out that Roberts was going to be writing a novella exclusively from Caleb's POV, I was also a little scared as well. I wasn't sure how I would end up feeling about him once I got a closer look inside his twisted mind. Let's just say, I could totally understand how conflicted Livie always felt about her feelings for Caleb. On the one hand, he's the monster who kidnapped and terrorized her. But on the other, he's the man who would stop at nothing to protect her. Even at the cost of his own life or freedom. But, Roberts wiped away my fears within the first few pages of this gorgeous, sexy, emotional book. Seeing things through Caleb's eyes...getting to truly understand how much he regretted how they came to know each other...how much he wished he could have been a better man for her....well, it goes without saying that my love for him has now reached an all new level of adoration.

  I didn't want to hurt her. I loved her. I don't know how to do it like a normal person. I didn't know how to tell her how scared I was. I pressed my head to the back of her neck and tried.
"Tell me I don't deserve you. Tell me all the things I already know."






There were times while reading this book that I was just completely floored by Robert's talent. She has managed to create this complex, dark & twisty world that is both alien, and feels disturbingly familiar. And she has given us two of the most emotionally and intellectually complex characters I have ever come across.

  "I made you love me! Livie, I was confused. I was...broken. I'm still broken. I don't know who I am or what I want. All I know is that without you, there's nothing. I'm nothing. Do you have any idea how terrifying that is for someone like me?"



  "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life. I just wish I could...be that for you."





Reading has always been my passion and an escape from the stress of my daily life. And once in a great while I manage to stumble upon a book or a series of books that not only make an impact on my life, but truly touch my heart in a way that few ever have before. These 3 books have more than made an impact on my life. And I know that I will always hold a very special place in my heart for Livie and Caleb's very unconventional, but no less beautiful love story.

The Dark Duet series is a journey through some of the most painful and gut-wrenching of experiences. But, it is also a story about love and battling your demons and being okay with not being perfect. With not having a perfect life.

Caleb and Livie's relationship isn't about hearts and flowers. It's about devotion and commitment against every odd imaginable.



  Survival is the most important thing. It affords us the chance to live and to find all of the things that make life worthwhile. I found redemption. I found forgiveness. I found love.

I had finally found a way to obey and never look back.





  I could never write an ending better than the one Livvie gave you, but I’ll leave you with this:
Once upon a time I saved Livvie. She’s been saving me ever since.






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

Play With Me ~ Kristen Proby

Play With Me by Kristen Proby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 ridiculously romantic stars!!

It's official. Kristen Proby is the QUEEN of feel-good, angst-free, romance! This series (thus far) has managed to find just the right balance of sweet romance, with hot and heavy sexy-times.

And Will Montgomery? I thought it would be impossible to surpass Luke as my favorite KP hero, but well...Will is just about my idea of the perfect romantic hero (and man).



This book was exactly what I needed, and I flew through it in less than 24 hours.

I love how simple KP's stories are. And I don't mean simple as in boring with nothing going on. I mean KP tells the kind of love stories that are so damn hard to find these days; stories that are (mostly) free of angst and needless drama. I love reading about a couple who are in love and don't have a million and one things pop up out of no where to keep them from being together. No psycho ex girl/boyfriends coming out of the woodwork. No deep dark secrets that threaten to destroy the lives of our everyone around them. Do the couples have things to work through? Yes. But they work through them...and it doesn't take 300 pages for them to do it. They have hurdles in their way, but they make their way around them and get on with their lives. I for one LOVE the fact that when a crisis pops up, KP usually have the characters deal with the problems head on and within a few chapters our couple are moving on to something else. This kind of simplistic kind of storytelling might not be for everyone, but I absolutely LOVE it. And wish I could find more authors like Kristen doing it these days.

Will & Meg's relationship was sweet, romantic, and oh so sexy. One of the things I ADORE about Will is the fact that he has absolutely no problem telling Meg (and everyone else) how he feels about her. I've seen some people say that the heroes in these books are just too good to be true and therefore not realistic. Well, I don't know about you, but, one of the reasons I love romantic fiction so much is because it can take me away from the overwhelming stresses of my day to day life and transport me into a world where men like Will Montgomery CAN exist, and and where an 'average' girl like Meg (in other words someone like me) can somehow steal his heart. That's why I keep coming back to romantic fiction, and that is why Kristen Proby is one of my favorite authors.




"You are not a dirty little secret," I murmur into her ear. "You are everything."

"Just the thought of you not being in my life is my undoing. When you feel safe enough to say what I know you feel, it will be the best moment of my life."

And those quotes (along with a bunch of others I could post), show why Will Montgomery is pretty much the perfect romantic hero. He's sweet, kind, funny, possessive and too damn sexy for words. And I am so grateful I got to spend some time with him. ;)

I can't recommend this book (and this series) highly enough!

Breathe ~ Kristen Ashley

Breathe by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another 6 star book from Kristen Ashley!!

This book was probably the most emotional reading experience I have had all year. So beautiful, so heartbreaking, so uplifting. My emotions have run the gamut, and after reading this book I am completely convinced that Kristen Ashley is a Goddess among women, and has now rocketed up to the top of my favorite author list.



I have to admit, the previous book in this series Lady Luck was my least favorite. Not that I didn't end up enjoying that book, because I definitely did. My main problem was the fact that I wasn't able to connect to the hero Ty, in the way that I had with the leading men from the first two books in the series. But having said that - one of my favorite things about Lady Luck was the glimpse we got to see of police officer Chace Keaton. In fact, one of the best scenes in that book was towards the end when Lexie is having lunch with Chace and notices the way he looks at the shy, quiet, librarian Faye. The level of emotion and longing that KA managed to covey in such a short scene with a secondary character was so moving to me. I absolutely could not wait to dive into Chace & Faye's story.

This may sound silly, but literally from the first chapter I could tell Breathe was something special. So much so that I attempted to read this book slowly in order to truly enjoy the story and the characters. While I am a newbie to the KA universe (this is the 4th book I have read by her) this was without question the best of the bunch so far and I could easily sit here and gush about every little detail that I loved about the book, but I will attempt to keep myself under control. Now, having said that...

I FRAKING LOVED THIS BOOK!!!


Soooo much to fangirl over, so little time....let's start with a girl after my own heart...Faye. KA has a habit of writing amazing female protagonists and I have to say, she outdid herself here. Faye is a librarian by profession, and a book nerd and geek at heart. She constantly has her nose in a book, she adores Battlestar Galactica, Psych & Firefly, has a crazy family and is a 29 year old virgin. And she has been carrying a torch for troubled police officer Chace Keaton for 13 years. I immediately felt connected to Faye for many reasons, especially because of her love for books and all things geeky. She was just a fantastic heroine and I loved her to pieces.

And then there's Chace. *SWOOOOOOOOOOON*



He has a troubled past and many demons. And thankfully KA didn't decide to make us read through hundreds of pages of angst while Chace battled his desire to have something good in his life. Almost from the beginning Chace decides he's not going to let anything or anyone stand in the way of what he wants. And what he wants is Faye.

The love story is pretty much perfect and Chace and Faye's chemistry is off the charts. She's goofy to his serious, and they make the perfect couple you can't help but root for. There are many things standing in the way of their happiness. But once again, I was so happy with the way KA handled the obstacles. All of the ups and downs of their relationship were handled in a believable way, and instead of needlessly ripping the two of them apart again and again just to add drama to the story, Chace & Faye handled everything thrown at them intelligently and most importantly, they handled the problems together.

As always, KA's knack of bringing us a cast of wonderful secondary characters holds true. It was wonderful seeing appearances by the main characters from the previous 3 books in the series (as well as a surprise appearance from a few favorites from another KA series).

I have to make special mention of the character of Miah. He was responsible for a lot of the tears I shed throughout reading this book. The story line involving him and his sister Becky were one of the things I loved most about an already beautiful book. But my gosh...the anguish I felt reading certain parts.



Some of my fave quotes:

"You're beautiful, a good kisser, this is our first date, my bed is in the room, I'm nervous as all heck and I just thought I was going to die after spitting out gum so no, I'm not all right."


He loved her calling him Chace.
But, her calling him honey was something else. Something pure. Something magical. Like the first snow of the season falling at night....
It was a little common miracle but even common, that made it no less miraculous.


"All mine", he muttered. "Christ, finally, all mine."


"You do not sleep without me" he paused then finished, "Ever."


The best heroes always have scars.





Now that i have finished this book, I definitely look at it as a gift. I have stated this in other reviews of KA's books, but she is absolutely responsible for bringing back my love of reading. I am so grateful to have discovered her books, and if there is one downside to it all...I am now a full fledged KA Addict and I know there is no cure in sight. But honestly, this is one addiction I can be proud of. :)

Roadkill ~ Rob Thurman

Roadkill by Rob Thurman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rating: 6 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Depth of the Characters: 6 stars. Rob Thurman is a master at this.
Where it ranks in the series thus far: #1 - hands down the best and most emotionally engaging book of an already fantastic series.

This book made me cry. Not one or two random tears...this book made me sob like a baby that just had her favorite blanket stolen from her. Not because this was the end of the series (which it thankfully isn't) and not because we ended up losing one of the main characters (which i spent a good deal of the book believing we would, but thankfully once again didn't happen)...no, I cried because this book was just...so...damn...good.

Okay, so crying myself into a massive headache sounds like a strange reaction to a good book. Lord knows it has only happened to me once or twice before. I guess the real reason i cried was due to the characters.I felt the pain and frustration of these characters...for the impossible choices they had to make. The characters of Niko, Cal and Robin have always been some of my favorites in any type of fiction, but with Roadkill we had the added bonus of Rafferty and Catcher. and they were the ones I was most drawn to here. I'm not really going to say anything about them (to avoid another weeping fit) other than to just let anyone reading this know that their relationship was so spot on perfect. And it mirrored the relationship between Cal & Niko...which was part of the reason their story destroyed me on such a deep level.

Rob Thurman has long been one of my favorite authors, but with Roadkill she had vaulted to the top of the pack.

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